Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Publicanus: A person in ancient Rome who collected taxes. They were called "farmers of the public revenue," but they only collected money from the hard work of others. Publicanus is also known as a publican.
Definition: Publicanus (pronounced puh-bli-kay-nuhs) is a term from ancient Roman law that refers to a tax collector. They were known as "farmers of the public revenue," but they didn't actually do any farming. Instead, they collected money from the labor of others.
Example: In ancient Rome, the government needed money to fund its operations. Publicani were responsible for collecting taxes from the citizens. They would go door-to-door, collecting money from people based on their income and property.
Explanation: The example illustrates how publicani were responsible for collecting taxes from the citizens. They were like modern-day tax collectors, but they worked for the government. The money they collected was used to fund public services like roads, aqueducts, and public buildings.