Legal Definitions - adscriptus

Definition: Adscriptus (ad-skrip-tus) is a Latin term used in Roman law. It refers to something that is added, annexed, or bound by or in writing. It can also mean enrolled or registered.

There are two main uses of the term:

1. Bound, as in servus colonae adscriptus (a tenant bound to an estate as a cultivator) or fundus adscriptus (an estate bound to or burdened with a duty).
2. Adscriptus glebae (a tenant or serf bound to the land).

For example, if a person was a servus colonae adscriptus, they were a tenant who was bound to an estate as a cultivator. This means that they were required to work on the estate and could not leave without permission. Similarly, if an estate was fundus adscriptus, it was burdened with a duty, such as paying taxes or providing military service.

Another example is adscriptus glebae, which refers to a tenant or serf who was bound to the land. This means that they were not free to leave the land and had to work for the owner of the land. If the land was sold, the tenant or serf was sold along with it.

These examples illustrate how adscriptus was used in Roman law to describe things that were bound or attached to something else. It was often used to describe people who were bound to a particular place or duty.