Les lois Licinia-Sextia : un nouvel examen

Abstract

This study re-evaluates the scholary debate over the law Licinia-Sextia de modum agrorum from the perspective of the validity of the entire legislative program, which also included the laws de consule plebeio and de aere alieno. The examination is made not only in light of the internal coherence of the programm but also with regards to the current state of scholarly kwowledge regarding this period. The study focusses on the following aspects : — Introduction : the background of the episode. — A. The legislative program : I. The various traditions ; I.1. The Livian tradition ; I.2. The competing traditions. II. The period of the consular tribunate ; II.1. The crisis begins ; II.2. Anarchy or a further year of power for the consular tribunate ? II.3. Anarchy ; II.4. The return of the consular tribunate ; III. 1 . Plebescite or laws ? III.2. The final election of Licinius and Sextius as popular tribunes ; III.3. The legislative programm is adopted ; III.4. The elections of 367. — B. The ager gentilicius and the ager publicus : I.1. An ambivalent law ; II. The ager Veientanus ; III. Agrarian servitude. — C. The agrarian modus and the zones of pasturing : I. An imaginary law ; II. A lex perfecta or minus quam perfecta ? ; II.1. The norms of property inheritance ; II.2. The agrarian norms ; II. 3. The norms of pasturing ; III. The beginnings of the praetorian law for the interpretation of agrarian norms and customs. — Conclusion : a new attempt to reconstruct the episode.