Legal Definitions - lex Furia testamentaria

Definition: Lex Furia testamentaria is a law in Roman law that restricts a testator from bequeathing more than 1,000 asses (722 pounds) of copper or its equivalent. This law was passed between 204 and 169 B.C. and was one of the first laws to limit legacies.

Example: The lex Furia testamentaria allowed a testator to leave nothing to their heir, as long as they made enough legatees up to the statutory limit of 1,000 asses. If a testator left more than 1,000 asses to someone who was not a close relative, that person would be penalized four times the amount and would have to pay it back through a strict legal process.

Explanation: This law was created to prevent wealthy individuals from leaving large sums of money to people who were not their close relatives. It was meant to ensure that wealth was distributed more evenly among family members and prevent the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few individuals. The penalty for violating this law was severe, which shows how seriously the Romans took the issue of inheritance and legacy distribution.