Legal Definitions - quadruplator

quadruplator

In ancient Roman law, a quadruplator was an individual who acted as an informer, bringing to light instances of fraud or wrongdoing, particularly those committed against the state treasury (known as the fiscus). By law, if their information led to successful criminal proceedings and the recovery of illicitly gained or withheld assets, the quadruplator was entitled to receive a reward equivalent to one-fourth (25%) of the value of the assets recovered or the fine imposed.

• Example 1: Reporting Tax Evasion

  Imagine a wealthy Roman landowner who consistently underreports the yield from his vast agricultural estates to avoid paying the full amount of grain taxes owed to the Roman government. A disgruntled former overseer, aware of the true production figures, decides to report this fraudulent activity to the authorities. If the state investigates, confirms the tax evasion, and recovers the unpaid taxes, the former overseer, acting as a quadruplator, would receive a quarter of the recovered tax amount as a reward for his information.

• Example 2: Exposing Embezzlement of Public Funds

  Consider a Roman magistrate tasked with managing the construction of a new public bathhouse. This magistrate secretly inflates invoices for materials and labor, pocketing the difference from the public funds allocated for the project. A diligent scribe working in the magistrate's office notices these suspicious financial discrepancies and reports them to a higher authority. Should the investigation prove the embezzlement and lead to the recovery of the stolen funds, the scribe, in the role of a quadruplator, would be legally entitled to 25% of the recovered money.

• Example 3: Informing on Customs Fraud

  A group of merchants regularly imports exotic spices and silks into Rome but uses false manifests and bribes customs officials to avoid paying the full import duties (portoria) to the state. A rival merchant, observing their suspiciously low declared values and quick passage through customs, gathers evidence and reports their scheme to the imperial treasury. If the authorities act on this information, seize the illegally imported goods, and fine the fraudsters, the rival merchant, as a quadruplator, would receive a reward equal to one-fourth of the value of the seized goods or the fine collected.