Legal Definitions - mancipation

Definition: Mancipation is a legal process used in ancient Rome to transfer property through a formal sale. It required the presence of the item being sold and five adult male citizens as witnesses.

Example: A man wants to sell his house to another person. To do this, they would go through the mancipation process. The seller would bring the house and five witnesses to a public place. The buyer would then pay a symbolic amount of money and take possession of the house. This process would legally transfer ownership of the house to the buyer.

Explanation: The example illustrates how mancipation was used to transfer ownership of property in ancient Rome. It was a formal process that required specific conditions to be met, such as the presence of the item being sold and witnesses. This ensured that the transfer of ownership was legally binding and recognized by the Roman authorities.