Barbara Abatino

'Pignoris arrabonisve nomine' in TPSulp. 51 (TPN 43): a case of diglossia?

Despite the fact that the term arrabo has not been attested by legal sources as nomen iuris or as a technical term, the syntagm ‘pignoris arrabonisve nomine’ occurs in a chirograph documented by TPSulp. 51, from the age of Tiberius. This article shows, first, that the loans model contract of the TPSulp. 51 contained the hendiadys ‘pignus arrabove’ to denote the pledge. Second, it concludes that the mention of arrabo is related to precautionary reasons and that it may be explained by the use of a colloquial term introduced in Latin language by way of Greek lexical borrowing. Finally, this implies some considerations on language contact, lexical interference and integration of loan-words in Latin.

Agency Problems and Organizational Costs in Slave-Run Businesses

In this paper we examine the internal economic organization of the peculium servi communis as separate business assets granted to a slave and its (external) relationships with creditors. Literary, legal and epigraphic evidence points predominantly to businesses of small or medium size, suggesting that there must have been some constraints to growth. We identify both agency problems arising within the business organization (governance problems) and agency problems arising between the business organization and its creditors (limited access to credit). We suggest that, although the praetorian remedies had a remarkable mitigating effect, agency problems operated as a constraint to the expansion of these business organizations, both in terms of individuals involved and in terms of capital invested.