Legal Definitions - sportula

Sportula

In ancient Roman law, sportula refers to two distinct types of payments or gifts:

• First, it could be a small present or donation, often given to the poor or to clients by their patrons as a form of support or daily allowance.
• Second, it also referred to a fee paid to certain officials for performing their judicial or administrative duties.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of sportula:

• Imagine a wealthy Roman citizen, acting as a patron, regularly providing a daily allowance of food and a small sum of money to his clients who visit him each morning. This consistent provision helps the clients meet their daily needs.

  This scenario illustrates the first meaning of sportula, where it functions as a donation or present given by a patron to support their clients.

• Consider a situation where a Roman citizen needs to formally register a property deed with a public official. After the official reviews and validates the document, the citizen pays a modest fee to the official for the service of recording and safeguarding the deed in the public archives.

  This payment exemplifies the second meaning of sportula, representing a fee paid to an official for performing a specific administrative or judicial duty, such as the official registration of a legal document.