Legal Definitions - subscriptor

A subscriptor is a term originating from Roman law that refers to one of two specific roles:

• A person who formally made or signed a written accusation of a crime against another individual.
• A person who acted as a witness to a will.

Here are some examples to illustrate the meaning of subscriptor:

• Example 1 (Accusation of Crime):

  Imagine a scenario in ancient Rome where a prominent merchant, named Publius, discovered that his business rival, Brutus, had been engaging in widespread tax evasion. Publius, wanting to see justice served and protect his own legitimate business, decided to bring a formal charge against Brutus. He meticulously drafted a detailed document outlining Brutus's illegal activities, gathered supporting evidence, and then personally signed this written accusation before presenting it to the appropriate Roman authorities.

  In this situation, Publius would be considered a subscriptor because he was the individual who formally initiated and signed a written accusation of a crime against a specific person.

• Example 2 (Witness to a Will):

  Consider a wealthy Roman matron, Cornelia, who was nearing the end of her life and wished to ensure her extensive estate, including lands, slaves, and valuable artifacts, was distributed precisely as she intended among her heirs. To make her last will and testament legally robust and prevent any future challenges from disgruntled relatives, she arranged for two respected members of the community, her family physician Drusus and her long-time legal advisor Servius, to be present when she formally signed the document.

  After Cornelia affixed her signature to the will, Drusus and Servius also signed the document, confirming that they had personally observed Cornelia signing it and that she appeared to be of sound mind and acting voluntarily. Here, both Drusus and Servius would be considered subscriptores because they served as official witnesses to the signing of the will.