60 The Imperial Government
propertieswithoutownerswillfalltothepeopleasauniversalparent.’’^95 In
thereignof TrajanwefindasystembywhichcasesundertheLexIuliaet
PapiawerereportedtotheAerarium,butthepropertyconcernedwasliable
togototheFiscus.^96 In129theSenatewasconcerningitself,intheSenatus
ConsultumIuventianum,withtheclaimsoftheFiscustoinheritances,^97 and
variousimperialconstitutionsofthesecondcenturyhadthesameobject.^98
Allwecansay,therefore,isthattheFiscus’receptionofbona caducahadsome
Hellenisticprecedents,becamerecognizedalongsidetheclaimsoftheAera-
riuminthecourseofthefirstcentury,andwasestablishedandpredominant
inthesecond.TherightoftheFiscustoallbona caducawasfirstproclaimed
byCaracalla.^99
Inthisconnectiontwoinstancesofwhatappeartobeextensionsofthe
principlemaybenoted.ThePtolemaicIdiosLogosismostoftenattestedre-
ceivinga‘‘penalty’’[prostimon]fortheoccupationandplantingofdesertroyal
land.^100 Vespasian perhaps followed this precedent in selling off unallotted
portions(subseciva)ofpubliclandandtakingtheproceedsfortheFiscus.^101
Then,inthefirstandsecondcenturiesa.d.,wefindthegradualemergence
ofaprinciplewherebytreasuretrovetendedtofalltotheemperor.Thecom-
plexitiesofthissubjectaregreat,butitisclearatleastthattherearenoknown
Hellenisticprecedents.^102 Theearliesthintoftheprinciple,ifweleaveout
of account Nero’s treasure hunt in Africa, which is probably not relevant,
comesfromCalpurniusSiculus,whodescribeshow(inexplicitcontrastwith
- Tac.,Ann.3,25and28.
- See,e.g.,Dig.49,14,13(fromPaulus,liber primus ad legem Iuliam et Papiam)ontwo
edictsbyTrajan,andfurthersecond-centuryregulations;andalso49,14,15,42,49.
97.Dig.5,3,20,6–7.SeeBiondi(n.87),145. - Note,e.g.,Gaius,Inst.II,285,anS.C.,followingonanoratioofHadrian,bywhich
fideicommissa(bequests)forthebenefitofperegrini(foreigners,non-citizens)wereclaimed
for the Fiscus, andDig. 49, 14, 1, 2–3, a rescript of Antoninus Pius, referring back to a
constitutionbyTitus. - Ulp.,reg.17,2:‘‘NowadaysbytheconstitutionoftheemperorAntoniniusallbona
caduca—apartfromcaseswheretherightofchildrenandparentsisinvolved—areclaimed
bythefiscus.’’ - Préaux(n.92),406and409.
101.Corpus agrimensorum rom.,Teubnered.,p.41(AgenniusUrbicus,de controversiis agro-
rum), ‘‘he obtained a significant sum of money for thefiscusby selling off the unallotted
portions,’’andpp.96–97(Hyginus,de generibus controversiarum),‘‘thedeifiedVespasian...
claimedforhimselfallunallottedportions.’’Cf.alsoVespasian’sclaimtolandconfiscated
inJudaeaaftertherevoltof66–70,Jos.,BJ7,216–17. - SeeG.F.Hill,‘‘Treasure-Trove:TheLawandPracticeofAntiquity,’’Proc.Brit.Acad.
19(1933):219,wherethepassagesImention,exceptthatfromJuvenal,arefullydiscussed.