Legal Definitions - lex Anastasiana

Definition: Lex Anastasiana is a law in Roman law that has two meanings:

1. It is a law that says when a brother or sister is freed from slavery, they should receive an equal share of their parent's property when they die without a will.
2. It is a law that says if someone buys a debt from the original creditor for less than its value, they cannot ask the debtor to pay more than the amount they paid plus interest.

Example 1: If a brother and sister were slaves and were freed, they would be entitled to an equal share of their parent's property when they die without a will. For example, if their parents had three children, and one of them was freed from slavery, the two remaining children and the freed child would each receive one-third of the property.

Example 2: If a person buys a debt from the original creditor for $500, but the debt is worth $1000, they cannot ask the debtor to pay more than $500 plus interest. For example, if the lawful interest is 10%, the person who bought the debt can only ask the debtor to pay $550.

These examples illustrate how the Lex Anastasiana law works in two different situations. The first example shows how the law protects the rights of emancipated siblings to receive an equal share of their parent's property. The second example shows how the law prevents people from making a profit by buying debts for less than their value and then asking debtors to pay more than they owe.