Public Lands and Agrarian Laws of the Roman Republic

The study traces the legal and practical evolution of Roman public lands from early communal tenure into privately held property by the time imperial authority was established. It analyzes technical concepts such as quiritarian ownership and the ager publicus, and shows how colonies, sales, and grants converted state territory into private holdings. The author follows successive agrarian movements and legislation, treating named enactments and their procedures for land distribution. Attention is given to economic and social drivers, including large estate formation, slavery, and civil upheavals, and the monograph is organized to relate agrarian policy to wider constitutional developments.