Prilog proučavanju srednjovekovnog prava - oslobađanje u vizantijskim testamentima

Abstract

U radu se pretežno istražuju vizantijski testamenti iz perioda od XI do XIV veka. Zanimljiv element sadržine nekih zaveštanja odnosi se na postupanje prema licima navedenim kao οίκετης, δονλοι, ανθρωποι, παιδεία. Ono što povezuje radnje zaveštalaca prema tim licima, podrazumeva njihovo oslobađanje. Uzevši u obzir pravni položaj podređenog stanovništva, ulogu u društvu srednjovizantijskog i poznovizantijskog perioda, kao i višestrukost οdnosa koji se u privatnopravnim i javnopravnim dokumentima označavaju putem metafore pokorenosti i ropstva, želimo da spoznamo pravi smisao oslobađanja i uporedimo ih s testamentarnom manumisijom rimskog prava. Za pomoć u tom poslu, okrenuli smo se uporednom metodu, pa se u radu analiziraju i druga srednjovekovna zaveštanja iz odgovarajućeg perioda, nastala pod uticajem vizantijskog prava.

Summary Wills and contracts are one of the main sources for the history of the Byzantine private law. In this article we have analyzed wills that are dated in the period of XI to XIV century. Manummision of the subordinate class of slaves, parikoi and serfs is an interesting and quite frequent phenomenon in wills. In a couple of different sources, testators gave freedom to the mentioned groups of people, most often being motivated by spiritual and holy causes. Testators usually provided the best care for a new freedman, involving family members to bear with his education and upkeeping. In this article we are also imposing many questions that are particulary significant for the legal analysis, such as the form of manumisson, the issue of slaves who become inheritors, value and the nature of legats, etc. Manumissons could have diverse nature. In some cases we can compare it with the testamentary manumission of the Roman private law, despite of the fact that slaves in the Byzantine law were never included in the inheritance mass. The relationship between testator/master and serf can explan better the nature of enslavement in Byzantium. That union is specific, known for life-important questions and needs of freedman, which master-testator resolves. It is a well-know fact that manumisson - elefteria is sometimes just another ambiguous term in the Byzantine sources. In exploring the legal institute of manumissio testamentaria one must be careful, because not every manumission is the real one, not every doulos and oikeios is a slave, and not every elefteros is a freedman. This part of Byzantine social and economic history is known to be very well studied and explored by scholars. Although this being a case, we must emphasize the shortage of legal studies in this field of Byzantine studies. We find this theme very important to the Studies of History of law, especially due to its complex relation to wills, codicils, legats and also caracteristics of testators and hereditors.