The Curious Case of Aurelius Papia. Slavery, Legislation and Causae Liberales in the Times of Severus Alexander

Abstract

This article is an approach to the imperial legislation on slavery in the time of Severus Alexander and, within this, to the development of the causae liberales through the study of a specific case reported in C. 4, 55, 4, where a man claims he was sold by his own slaves. As well as providing a better understanding of the Roman law on slavery, this case study seeks to better comprehend the model of ruler embodied by the last of the Severi, in the aftermath of the Constitutio Antoniniana and prior to the period of instability that followed his death.