Legal Definitions - solarium

In Roman law, solarium refers to the payment made for the right to build upon or occupy land owned by the state or the public. It was essentially a form of ground rent specifically applied to public land, compensating the Roman authorities for the use of their property for private or semi-private construction.

• Example 1: A Roman merchant, seeking to expand his business, decides to construct a new row of shops with living quarters above on a prime location within the city's forum, which is public land.

  Explanation: To gain permission to build and maintain his commercial property on this state-owned plot, the merchant would be obligated to pay a regular solarium to the Roman treasury. This payment acknowledged the state's ownership of the land beneath his building.

• Example 2: A wealthy Roman citizen desires to build a grand private villa on a scenic hillside just outside the city walls. This particular hillside, while undeveloped, is officially designated as ager publicus (public land).

  Explanation: Before commencing construction, the citizen would need to secure the right to build on this public property. The recurring payment made to the Roman state for this privilege, allowing him to erect and possess his villa on public ground, would be known as a solarium.

• Example 3: As Rome's population grew, private developers often built multi-story tenement buildings (insulae) to house citizens. If a developer acquired a concession to build one of these large residential blocks on a plot of land that was part of the public domain within the city, they would incur this charge.

  Explanation: The developer would pay a solarium to the Roman state for the ongoing right to occupy and profit from a building constructed on land that legally belonged to the public. This payment was distinct from the cost of construction itself, focusing solely on the ground rent for the public land.