Legal Definitions - Latini Juniani

Definition: Latini Juniani (pronounced luh-ti-nee joo-nee-ah-nee) were a group of manumitted slaves in ancient Rome who were granted some rights and privileges as free people, but not Roman citizenship. They were a special class of freedmen who could potentially become citizens in the future. If a Latini Juniani did not become a citizen, their status would revert to slavery upon their death, and their patron would acquire all their property.

Example: A man named Marcus was a slave who was freed by his master. However, he was not granted Roman citizenship and became a Latini Juniani instead. He was able to acquire some rights and own property, but he could not make a will or inherit property from others.

Explanation: This example illustrates the concept of Latini Juniani as a special class of freedmen who were not granted full Roman citizenship. Marcus was able to enjoy some freedoms as a free person, but he still had limitations on his legal rights and status.