로마공화정 초기 지역통합과 무니키피움의 기원

Abstract

This article aims to show the problems relating to the word municipium and to define its original meaning and function. It is generally accepted since Mommsen that the municipium was the autonomous community composed of the Roman citizen without the political right. But this concept is proven not true as the remaining material, especially Festus reports that the category also contained the citizen with full right, the Latins and the foreigner. This means that the civil status of a man or the regional boundary was not decisive to define the meaning of municipium or municeps. It is sure that the original municeps was a foreigner. In this respect it is necessary to analyze the relation of the earliest municipia with Rome. A municipium was at first an ally of Rome. Lanuvium was one of the earliest munipicia, of which deities and temples were shared also by the Roman people. I think this share of religion allowed the mutual use of other's public land. For the frontiers and the boundary of land had been recognized sacred in ancient society. Rome had deep interest in the territory of Lanuvium because of its geopolitical and military importance. This motive caused Rome to make a treaty and to share the religion with Lanuvium. And scholars found out that about one third of allies’ land was confiscated by Rome but the confiscator allowed the residents of allies to utilize the confiscated land which had become the public land in legal terms. In conclusion the municeps was a category of men permitted to possess the Roman public land by a treaty. A municipium is the community of the men belonging to that category. With this article I can discern the peculiar aspect in the roman government’s organization of Italian Peninsula. This fact also explains the disappearance of the usucapio on public land, which had been allowed early in the Twelve Tables.