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Lex Manciana facts for kids

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The Lex Manciana was an important Roman law. It was a set of rules about how people could rent land. This law was used for large farms owned by the Roman Emperor in North Africa.

Where Was This Law Used?

The farms mentioned in the Lex Manciana were in a region called Africa Proconsularis. This area is now part of modern-day Tunisia. The farms were located near the Medjerda River, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the ancient city of Carthage.

We know about this law from old stone carvings. One important carving was found at a place called Henchir Mettich. This carving, made around 116-117 AD, shows how the Lex Manciana was used for a specific farm called fundus Villa Magna Variana. Other similar carvings were found nearby at Ain-elDjemala and Ain Wassel.

What Did the Lex Manciana Say?

The stone carving from Henchir Mettich explains the rules for tenant farmers. These farmers were called coloni. They worked on the Emperor's land. Here are the main points of the agreement:

Who Was in Charge?

The document starts by naming the officials who set up these rules. They were Licinius Maximus, a Roman knight, and Felicior, a freed slave of Emperor Trajan. They were the managers, called procurators, at Henchir-Mettich.

Using Unused Land

The law allowed farmers to use land that was not being farmed. This unused land was called subseciva. Farmers could start growing crops on it under this agreement.

How Were Rents Paid?

Farmers had to pay rent using part of their crops. This is called paying "in kind." They decided how much of their harvest to give based on their own judgment.

What Were the Specific Rents?

For the newly farmed land, the rent was one-third of the total crop. This applied to wheat, barley, wine, and olive oil. If farmers grew beans, they paid one-quarter or one-fifth of the crop. If they had more than five beehives, they also paid some honey.

Rules for Beehives

Farmers were not allowed to move their beehives. They could not take them from the Emperor's land to other land to avoid paying rent.

Rewards for New Plantings

To encourage farmers to improve the land, there were special rules. If farmers planted new grapevines or figs, they paid no rent on those crops for the first five years. For new olive trees, they paid no rent for the first ten years.

Grazing Fees

Farmers also had to pay a yearly fee for animals grazing on the land. The fee was 4 asses (a type of Roman coin) for each animal.

Paying for Damage

If a farmer accidentally damaged another tenant's crops, they had to pay for it. This rule encouraged careful farming.

Passing Down the Land

Farmers could pass their rented land to their children or other heirs. This was a legal agreement. This rule helped keep families farming the same land for many years. It also encouraged them to invest more in the land.

Losing the Land

If a farmer did not cultivate their land for two years in a row, they would lose it. The landlord, the Emperor, would take the land back.

Extra Work for the Landlord

Besides paying rent, each farmer had to provide labor. They had to work two days in a row for ploughing. They also worked two days for harvesting. On top of that, they spent one day supervising livestock. Farmers could send their slaves or helpers to do this work instead.

What Was Sharecropping?

The Lex Manciana describes a system called sharecropping. This is when a farmer works land owned by someone else. In return, the farmer gives a share of their crops to the landlord as rent.

For a family of six in ancient times, they needed about three hectares of land to grow enough food. But with sharecropping, they needed to farm at least five hectares. This was because they had to give one-third of their crops to the landlord.

Sharecropping made the coloni work harder on their land. They needed to produce more to earn enough money for their families. However, it also meant that if the crops were bad, the farmer paid less rent. This shared some of the farming risks with the landlord.

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