societas
societas, fellowship, association, union, community, society
- I In gen.: hominum inter ipsos societas conjunctioque, Cic. Leg. 1, 10, 28: (nos) natos esse ad societatem communitatemque generis humani, id. Fin. 4, 2, 4: societas generis humani, quam conciliavit ipsa natura, id. Lael. 5, 20: fides et societas generis humani, id. N. D. 1, 2, 4: societas et communicatio utilitatum, id. Fin. 5, 23, 65: nulla societas nobis cum tyrannis, sed potius summa distractio est, id. Off. 3, 6, 32: societatem cum aliquo coire ... dirimere, id. Phil. 2, 10, 24: societatem coire de municipis cognitique fortunis cum alienissimo, id. Rosc. Am. 31, 87: quasi societatem coit conparandi cibi, id. N. D. 2, 48, 123: societatem confirmare, id. Phil. 2, 35, 89: nefarias pactiones societatesque conflare, id. Har. Resp. 20, 42: consiliorum omnium societas, id. Brut. 1, 2; Hirt. B. G. 8, 3: juris, Cic. Rep. 1, 32, 49: humanitatis, id. ib. 2, 26, 48: beate et honeste vivendi, id. ib. 4, 3, 3: gravitatis cum humanitate, id. Leg. 3, 1, 1: belli, Sall. C. 40, 1: omnium facinorum sibi cum Dolabellā societatem initam confiteri, Cic. Phil. 13, 17, 36: nominum, names in common, Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 218 et saep.; cf.: nulla sancta societas nec fides regni est, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 8, 26, and id. Rep. 1, 32 (Trag. v. 411 Vahl.): neque naturae est societas ulla cum somniis, Cic. Div. 2, 71, 147.—
- II In partic.
- A A copartnership, association for trading purposes.
- 1 In abstr.: qui societatem cum Sex. Naevio fecerit, etc.... fecit societatem earum rerum, quae in Galliā comparabantur, Cic. Quint. 3, 11: qui magnā fide societatem gererent, etc., id. ib. 3, 13: cum annos jam compluris societas esset, id. ib. 4, 14: quae (pecunia) tibi ex societate debeatur, id. Rosc. Com. 6, 16: societatem contrahere, Dig. 17, 2, 5; 17, 2, 74: coire, ib. 17, 2, 1 sq.; 17, 2, 5.—Plur.: societates contrahuntur sive universorum bonorum, sive negotiationis alicujus, sive vectigalis, sive etiam rei unius, Dig. 17, 2, 5.—
- 2 In concr., a company or society of the farmers of the public revenue: nulla Romae societas vectigalium, nullum collegium aut concilium, etc., Cic. Sest. 14, 32; cf. id. Fam. 13, 9, 2: si omnes societates venerunt, quarum ex numero multi sedent judices, id. Mur. 33, 69: provinciarum, Caes. B. C. 3, 3 fin.: maximarum societatum auctor, Cic. Planc. 13, 32; Plin. 33, 7, 40, § 118. —
- B A political league, an alliance, confederacy: cum Ptolemaeo societas erat facta, Caes. B. C. 3, 107 fin.: Ambiorigem sibi societate et foedere adjungunt, id. B. G. 6, 2: Leptitani Romam miserant amicitiam societatemque rogatum, Sall. J. 77, 2; so with amicitia, id. ib. 83, 1: impellere ad societatem belli, id. C. 40, 1: cum Lacedaemonii in societate non manerent, Nep. Con. 2, 2: Ioniam a societate averterunt Atheniensium, id. Alcib. 4, 7: societatem alicujus induere, Tac. A. 12, 13.
cum nuper te Rothomagi invenissem, atque ad verba mutue ~atis et amicitie descendissem, nec unum a te verbulum mansuetudinis aut dilectionis extorsi
ampliatis ‥ mercibus ‥ jam ~atis vinculum et communitatis unio displicent, separata placet proprietas, dividunt omnia
mansit sanctus Kiaranus per aliquot dies apud sanctum Seranum in divinis misteriis vacantes et ~atem et fraternitatem inter se fecerunt(
solis enim ad tenebras non potest esse ~as, nec infidelium ad Christicolas(
legebam ‥ oleastri ramum bonae olivae insertum fuisse, sed a ~ate radicis pinguedinis ejusdem, si ‥ alta saperet, excidendum [cf. ]Rom. xi 17
ab illo est vir praefatus consecratus antistes, adsumtis in ~atem ordinationis duobus de Brettonum gente episcopis
tribus ‥ causis a quibus nullus nostrorum poterit expers fore, id est generalis expeditionis necessaria ~ate, ac pontium urbiumque ‥ assolidatione
consulo ut in itinere isto vel unius anni contrahatis ~atem bonorum, cum ‥ victualia Lond' cara sunt
Romam amica itineris ~ate profecti ad limina sanctorum Apostolorum conscendimus
cum ‥ illam in ~atem thori recepisset Constantius, generavit ex ea filium
qui in collegio vel ~ate fuerit, ubi aliquis occidatur, acquietet se, quod eum non percussit(
ad appella sua prosequenda versus eos quos appellant de latrocinio et de ~ate. ‥ inquirat ubi A. et W., quos P. le A., probator, appellat de ~ate latronum, inveniri possint
si aliquis devenerit probator in curia prioris, et appellaverit alios de ~ate, statim liberabitur ballivis episcopi
A. filius G. piscatoris ‥ captus fuit in parco ‥ cum arcu et sagittis, qui indictavit R. filium R. filii Q. de ~ate et ipsum R. de receptamento
appellat S. de K. de ~ate abscisionis bursarum
utrum idem J. culpabilis esset de ~ate et latrocinio
Nigellus de Havena ‥ l m. pro ~ate marcandisarum quam habuit cum Gervasio de Hanton'
de H. L. quia habet ~atem cum quibusdam mercandizis cum quodam serviente suo et illa bona advocat tanquam sua propria
optulit se et petit ~atem gilde
H. de U. venit et petit ~atem gildanorum
his omnibus recalcitrant ~as regis
collegium, ~as, contubernium, consortium
T., regis Navarre primogenitus ‥ habet litteras ‥ de conductu sibi et ~ati et familie sue, ad eundum ‥ per ‥ potestatem regis
~as sanguinaria intravit Jonemuth in crastino sancti Botulphi
electi ‥ duo piscatores ‥ ex una ~ate et duo alii ex alia ~ate ad piscem aliorum ‥ juste appretiandum
W. M. debet ‥ mccc marcas xliij s. quad. et alii socii sui debent ccccl marcas ‥. et sic debet in universo illa ~as m vijc liij marcas, iij s. quad.
assignaverunt ‥ Bartholomoeo M. et Frederico D., mercatoribus de ~ate filiorum Bonsignoris de Senis, nomine suo et dicte ~atis mille quadringentas undecim marcas(
quedam pars penes diversos mercatores ~atum Lombardie et Tuscie custoditum
quod nullus vendat res suas in villa predicta alicui nisi illi qui fuerit de ~ate predicta
misit ‥ officiarios ‥ ad rescuendum ‥ mercatores Anglicos contra illos de ~ate de Hansa
prout ‥ adventurariae ~atis mercatoribus usui atque utilitati fore existimabunt
praeposituras, magisteria, praesidentias, gardianias ~atum
quo proelio peracto, de ultramarinis partibus alius paganorum exercitus ~ati se adjunxit
intulit cladem Britonibus quia relicta republica ~ati Carausii adherebant
mandamus ut singuli capitanei cum suis ~atibus ad personam nostram ‥ statim accedant
eodem tempore crevit quedam ~as virorum fortium vocata ‘~as fortune’, et per quosdam vocata estla grant companye ‥ isti erant viri fortes et bellicosi ‥ et vivebant de suo perquisito per guerram
magna ~as, que ‥ prevaluerunt in Francia
consurrexit in Francia illa famosa ~as que ‘gens sine capite’ vocabatur, que ‥ magnam Francie partem occupans sine legibus ‥ subjugavit
pro xxvj rollis de panno scarlett' pro domino rege, duce Lancestr' et aliis de ~ate garteriorum contra festum Sancti Georgii anno primo
in extremis monasterii locis ‥ ubi nuper venientes ad conversationem feminae solebant probari, donec regulariter institutae in ~atem congregationis susciperentur
stuprum, ~as turpis cum feminis
vincula necessitudinum humanarum seu parentum ad liberos seu liberorum ad parentes ‥ seu quecumque alia federa multiformis ~atis humane
inducitur ‥ presumptio ‥ ratione necessitudinis personarum et ex modo agendi, ex ~ate vel ex solitudine
duas res dedit natura que faciunt eum [hominem ] validum, sc. racionem et ~atem
cum naturale sit hominis quod sit animal sociale et politicum in multitudine vivens ‥ humane ~atis multitudo, si nullo ejus gerente curam regeretur ‥ perriret
monachus petiturus concedi sibi ~atem et beneficium monasterii, introductus in capitulum Benedicite dicat ‥ postea jussus ut surgat, accedat ad abbatem, et ab eo per librum regulae sumat monasterii ~atem
O. de B. accepit ~atem monachorum
[Henricus rex Anglorum ] in claustro monachorum diu sedit ‥ sequenti ‥ die in capitulum venit, ~atem eorum humiliter requisivit et recepit
quod si episcopus vel abbas canonicorum regularium, seu monachorum, vel etiam rex aliquando intraverit capitulum ‥ quod si ~atem quesierit, assurgentibus omnibus dicatur psalmus ‥ et sic concedatur ei fraternitas
extraneus ab ecclesiae ~ate [gl.: i. collegio, i. sodalitate ] inter biothanatos reputabitur
sciat se ‥ separatum ab omni ~ate Christiana
sollemnia Christi sine ecclesiae Christi ~ate venerantur
haec est fides nostra ‥ omnium quae in hoc mundo sunt catholicarum aecclesiarum ~ate fundata
sciat se ‥ ab omni synodali ~ate separatum
ne paganorum possent ~ate pollui
quam grave malum sit perdere gloriam aeternam et ~atem angelorum et pati tormentum aeternum in ~ate diabolorum
humanam magis quam bestialem ~atem eis ‥ nocte tota lupus exhibuit
alius ei de sponso suo deliciarum gustus in osculis ‥ alia in alloquiorum et colloquiorum ~ate laetitia ‥ est
beatus Johannes ~atem [ME: ] fugit hominum fedatorumfeolaȝeschipe
tu ‥ qui ~atem amas, habebis terras meas in Wallia
si a reumate vos curare et preservare duxeritis, vitare debetis ‥ exercicium nimium potissime post ~atem
si qua ‥ pars ab una conjunctione solvitur, non perit sed ad aliam ~atem transit
vetus illa ~as mortis et injustitie dissipata est, morsque ad beatitudinem et justitiam ligata est in Christo Jesu
- 1. gemeenschap, vereniging, deelneming, verbond, nauwe band [hominum inter ipsos; latronum roversbende; vitae sociaal leven; periculi; sceleris]; ➤ nulla ~ nobis cum tyrannis est (Cic.); in societatem laudum alcis venire deelnemen aan;
- 2. vriendschap, gezelschap; ➤ societatem inire, coire, statuere cum alqo; se a societate seiungere; societatem confirmare;
- 3. (pol.) verbond, bondgenootschap; ➤ societatem cum alqo coniungere; societatem belli facere; ~ et foedus verbond voor wederzijdse bescherming;
- 4. vennootschap, compagnie; ➤ societatem gerere leiden, besturen; societatem facere vormen; iudicium societatis wegens contractbreuk;
- 5. syndicaat v.d. publicani [Bithynica]; ➤ magister societatis voorzitter; auctor societatis stichter.
commandite; in tractu Bressiæ et Bugiæ
Commande de bestiaux. Vide Commenda 3.
Tenere ad, est tenere ad medietatem fructuum. HincSocietatem
Item confessi sunt dicti venditores se vendidisse abbati et conventui prædictis Societates quas personæ infra scriptæ de ipsis tenebant.... Nec tenebitur ecclesia de Monte S. Eligii aliquid apponere in dictis terris quæ tenentur ad Societatem excolendis et seminandis : immo percipiet tertiam partem fructuum earumdem, hoc salvo quod Societarius debet percipere terragium in eadem tertia parte secundum quantitatem ejusdem.Vide Medietarius, et Soistura. Hinc
Donner à moitié. Edictum Rotharis Regis tit. 95. § 3.
Servus massarius licentiam habeat de peculio suo, id est, bovem, vaccam, caballum similiter et de minutis peculiis in Socio dare et in Socio recipere, etc.
Societas Britonumin Mirac. MSS. Urbani V. PP. :
Nobilis Johannes de la Chalma diocesis Valentinensis ann. 1374. cum Societates Britonum cepissent castrum appellatum Sahon super Rodanum, manus eorum evadere volens, etc.
Societas Catalanorumquæ et
Universitas fœlicis Francorum exercitus existentis in partibus imperii Romaniæinscribitur in Litteris ann. 1314. tom. 2. Hist. Dalph. pag. 151. col. 2. Bulla Clementis VI. PP. ann. 1346. ibid. pag. 533. col. 1 :
Cæterum super hoc quod sententias olim promulgatas adversus illos de magna Societate Catalanorum in ducatu Athenarum existentium, etc.
Societas Hispanorum, in Charta ann. 1361. ex Schedis Præs.
Pro parte regiæ et reginalis curiæ, ac dictæ provinciæ ex una parte, et comitem Tristamene ac ejus fratres et certos alios caporales Societatis Ispanorum guerram facientes in dicta provincia, et eam nimis dispendiose tenentes impeditam ex parte alia.
Magna Societas, de qua hæc scribit Innocentius VI. PP. ad Johannem Reg. Franc. apud Marten. tom. 2. Anecd. col. 910 :
Intellectis..... guerrarum fremitibus per nonnullas gentes nefarias, quæ se Magnam Societatem appellant, in regni tui finibus exortis, etc.Vide Compagnia. Hinc
Exercitus, in Gloss. Gasp. Barthii ex Hist. Palæst. Roberti Mon. apud Ludewig. tom. 3. Reliq. MSS. pag. 110.
Congregati sunt viri scelerati et pestiferi ex partibus Alamanniæ, Italiæ, Tusciæ, qui dicti sunt Societas. Et fuerunt homines sine jugo, absque rege, absque lege, viventes de rapinis, nulli parcentes ætati. Hi fuerunt viri instabiles, docti ad omne scelus, civitates et castra obsidentes.Præter memoratas supra ejusmodi Societates,
Societatis Albæet
Societatis Fortunæmeminit
La Margot. Vide supra in hac voce et Sociales.
Item quod dictus clericus prædicta delicta..... fecit seu fieri et perpetrari fecit...... per quosdam homines, qui vocabantur de Societate seu de conspiratione et confœderatione vocatorum de la bonne voluntey.
De Societate de la bonne volunté, in Charta seq. ubi de eadem re.
Chorierde statu polit. Dalphin. tom. 1. pag. 111 :
Venientes itaque religiosissimi et venerabiles patres, illustrissimaque Societas Comitum, solito more, sicut in aliis locis.Cæremon. MS. B. M. Deauratæ Tolos. :
Et nota quod in istis collationibus non cedent(sedent) sicut consueverunt in prandio per Societates camerarum ; sed mixtim antiquiores et honorabiliores primi.
QuæEadem quæ(jocalia) dum præsidebamus regimini ecclesiæ Albiensis, apud mercatores socios etSocietatem de Guilharma.... posuimus.
vocatur, in Arest. parlam. Paris. ann. 1384. 30. Jan. ex Cod. reg. 9822. 2. fol. 142 :Societas Gullimina
Ita allegavit contra illos de Compendio, qui dicebant se habere privilegium, quod poterant ducere in fluvio Ysaræ sine Societate Parisiensi, quæ vocatura Joan. de Bardis nuncupata, in Lit. ann. 1317. ex Reg. 54. Chartoph. reg. fol. 39. v°.Societas Gullimina. Societas Bardorum de Florentia
Les Compaignies des Angoissolles(alibi
des Acheyollesvel
Escheiolleset
Aschioles), des Douceins, des Falez et des Scaramps, in Reg. B. ejusd. Cam. Comput. ad ann. 1335. fol. 65. v°.
Les Compaignies des Magalez et Mossez, in Ch. ann. 1340. ex Reg. 74. ch. 536.
, in alia ann. 1351. ex Reg. 80. ch. 503.Societas Falletorum de Alba
Item volo et jubeo quod ubicumque moriar, corpus meum sepeliatur de nocte, cumSocietate non ultra viginti personarum, computatis personis ecclesiasticis et illis, quæ portabunt corpus et quæ portabunt doperios.
Incœpit quædam devotio, quod homines et mulieres induebantur pannis lineis albis et longis usque in terram..... Supradicta autem devotio de Hibernia venit ad Angliam, deinde in Franciam, postea in Pedemontium, deinde Januam, et in Lombardiam, in Tusciam, Romam, etc. Ita placuit civibus Paduanis dictaSocietas alba, etc.
- socius, fellowship, association, union, community, society: hominum inter ipsos: generis humani: nulla cum tyrannis: consiliorum omnium: quorum (criminum) tibi societas Cum Verre eius modi est.—A copartnership, association in business: societatem cum Naevio facere: magnā fide societatem gerere: quae (pecunia) tibi ex societate debeatur.—A company of publicans, revenue farmers' association: societas: provinciarum, Cs.—A political league, alliance, confederacy: cum Ptolemaeo societas erat facta, Cs.: Romam miserant societatem rogatum, S.: in societate manere, N.
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…fortunisque civium omnium arcebis et homines bonorum inimicos, hostis patriae, latrones Italiae scelerum foedere inter se ac nefaria societate coniunctos aeternis suppliciis vivos mortuosque mactabis. tandem aliquando, Quirites…
Cicero, in Catilinam
-
…. Igitur P. Umbreno cuidam negotium dat, uti legatos Allobrogum requirat eosque, si possit, inpellat ad societatem belli, existumans publice privatimque aere alieno oppressos, praeterea quod natura gens Gallica bellicosa esset, facile eos ad…
Sallust, Catilina
-
…T. Volturcium quendam Crotoniensem mittit, ut Allobroges, priusquam domum pergerent, cum Catilina data atque accepta fide societatem confirmarent. Ipse Volturcio litteras ad Catilinam dat, quarum exemplum infra scriptum est Qui sim, ex eo ,…
Sallust, Catilina
-
…. Erant eo tempore, qui existumarent indicium illud a P. Autronio machinatum, quo facilius appellato Crasso per societatem periculi reliquos illius potentia tegeret. Alii Tarquinium a Cicerone inmissum aiebant, ne Crassus more suo suscepto malorum patrocinio…
Sallust, Catilina
-
…ut amici, ut fratres, ut propinqui, ut affines, ut cives, ut omnes denique quoniam unam societatem hominum esse volumus propter se expetendi sint. atqui eorum nihil est eius generis, ut sit in fine atque…
M. Tullius Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum
-
…metu, cum edictis, cum privilegiis, cum praesentibus copiis perditorum, absentis exercitus terrore et minis, consulum societate et nefario foedere servitute oppressam civitatem teneres, libertatis signum posuisti magis ad ludibrium impudentiae quam ad simulationem religionis .…
Cicero, de Domo sua
-
…imperiti, hac vulgus, hac denique barbari maxime commoventur verba enim neminem movent nisi eum, qui eiusdem linguae societate coniunctus est, sententiaeque saepe acutae non acutorum hominum sensus praetervolant actio, quae prae se motum animi fert ,…
Cicero, de Oratore
-
…dixerit, qui sibi cum suis civibus, qui denique cum omni hominum genere nullam iuris communionem, nullam humanitatis societatem velit Sed erit hoc de genere nobis alius aptior dicendi locus, cum res ipsa admonuerit, ut in eos…
M. Tullius Cicero, De Republica
-
…est M. Bruti. magisne quam Decimi equidem non arbitror. etsi est enim Brutorum commune factum et laudis societas aequa, Decimo tamen ; eo ; iratiores erant ei qui id factum dolebant quo minus ab eo…
Cicero, Philippicae
-
…cum se ex hisce locis reciperent, eodem deferrentur, adsciverunt sibi illud oppidum piratae primo commercio, deinde etiam societate. Mamertina civitas improba antea non erat ; etiam erat inimica improborum, quae C. Catonis, illius qui…
Cicero, in Verrem
SOCI´ETASpartnership,is the name of a contract which arises when two or more persons agree together to conduct for their joint account any lawful business, or to share the profits and loss of any single piece of business, or even of all their havings and doings. According to agreement, the partners may contribute differently either in property or services, and may have different shares in the result. In default of agreement, the shares will be equal. As a rule the share of profits determines also the share of loss, and vice versâ; but this also is subject to agreement, only all partners must have some share in the profits. Otherwise, it would be as Cassius used to call it, with an allusion to the fable (cf. Phaedr. 1.5), a lionlike partnership (societas leonina), and invalid. Mucius (i. e. Q. Mucius Scaevola) held that the shares of loss must be the same as the shares of profit, but Servius (i. e. Serv. Sulpicius Rufus) held that this was not necessary, and his opinion prevailed (Dig. 17, 2, 11. 29, 30).
Partnership rests on consent, and may either be formed by particular words or inferred from facts ( et re et verbis et per nuntium coiri, Dig. ib. 4). It ceases on the death of a partner or on his bankruptcy, or on the extinction of the thing or conclusion of the business which is the object of the partnership, or on the occurrence of the time or condition agreed to, or by notice given by any partner to the others. Civil death (capitis deminutio) in this as in other matters was originally equivalent to natural death; but the later law confined such effect to the loss of liberty or citizenship, while it preserved the theory by holding that in the case of a mere change of status (min. cap. dem.) a new partnership arose by the consent of the partners as often as the existing one was dissolved. Notice of retirement is good only if the other partners are not unfairly put to a disadvantage; otherwise the retiring partner has to compensate them, and loses his share in the profits (Gaius, 3.151-154; Dig. ib. 63, 10-65, 14 sq.).
A partner must account for all profits made by him in partnership matters, and manage the business as carefully as he does his own. He is liable for losses occasioned by his negligence, and cannot set off against them any profits produced by his exertions (Dig. ib. 25, 26). He can recover from his partners any expenses in the conduct of the business which he has properly incurred (Dig. ib. 52, 10-15; 60, 61; 67, 2; 72-74). The rights and responsibilities of partners were enforced by a special action, actio pro socio; i.e. a suit brought in the character of a partner. It could be brought not only by a partner against his fellows, but by or against a partner's heir, without the heir being himself a partner or being made so by this action (Dig. ib. 35-38; 63, 8; 65, 9). It was an action bonae fidei, i.e. it took account of equitable considerations on both sides. Hence the judge was called arbiter (Cic. pro Rose. Com. 8, 24, 25; Dig. ib. 38). Condemnation in such a suit made a man infamous (Gaius, 4.182; Dig. 3, 2, 1), but, as in other cases of close relationship, was not to be executed with such stringency as to deprive the defendant of the necessary means of subsistence ( in id quod facere potest condemnari oportet, Dig. 17, 2, 63pr., 3). Other rights of action were not excluded, but their effect was limited to satisfaction in excess of what had been already won by this. It differed from the actio communi dividundo by being confined to partners in the strict sense of the term, i. e. persons to whom a community of goods has come by their own choice and purpose, and not merely by accident or legal devolution, and by its scope embracing not merely corporeal things, but debts and all kinds of mutual claims and equities (Dig. ib. 43; 10, 3, 1-3).
Partnership did not make its members into one legal body: its effects were confined to the members themselves; outsiders were in no way concerned. As a rule a partner bound himself only to third parties; and he could alienate only his own share of the partnership property (68, pr.). But some tendencies towards a different rule are found. From ad Heren. 2.13, 19, it would appear that solidarity among the partners of a bank was sometimes customary ( id quod argentario tuleris expensum ab socio eius recte petere possis), and the convenience of the public is given as the cause of a similar joint liability in the case of companies of slavedealers (Dig. 21, 1, 44, 1) and of shipmasters (Dig. 14, 1, 1, 25, 1-4). And when partners appoint a captain of a ship or a manager of a shop, his action makes each and all liable to a suit at the hands of third parties. Of course a person thus singled out would have claims to be reimbursed proportionally by his partner.
As examples of partnerships may be mentioned: between neighbours to buy a field for profit (Dig. ib. 52, pr., 31); between an owner of cattle or of land and a farmer to pasture the cattle or till the land (2); trading in cloaks (sagaria negotiatio, 4); letting chambers (10); building a common wall (13); contributing horses to make up a team for sale (58, pr.); teaching grammar (71, pr.), &c. One of the Transylvanian wax tablets (A.D. 167) is a record of an agreement for partnership in a banking business (danistaria) concluded by stipulation (C. I. L. 3. p. 950; also in Bruns, Fontes). Two of Cicero's early speeches deal more or less with partnerships. That pro Roscio Comoedo relates to a slave belonging to Fannius, whom Roscius agreed to train as an actor, the slave thus trained to be employed for their common profit. The speech pro Quinctio relates to a partnership in a grazing farm.
Two special forms of partnership require distinct mention.
1. Societas universorum bonorum is often spoken of, and may very probably have originated in the position of brothers who were coheirs (cf. Dig. ib. 52, 8; 10, 2, 39, 3; 31, 89, 1), a relationship to which the name of consortium seems to have been specially applied (Dig. 27. 1, 31, 4; cf. Gell. 1.9.12). In this case all the corporeal property of each partner becomes at once without specific delivery common to both, and their future acquisitions by trade, inheritance, gift, damages for bodily hurt, &c. fell into the common stock (Dig. ib. 1-3).
2. Societates publicanorum. The companies who farmed the public taxes stood from their magnitude in a different position from ordinary partnerships; but little is known of their legal character. An heir, however, became a partner if accepted by the others, and, if not accepted, still shared in the profits and loss (Dig. ib. 59; 63, 8). Such interested persons may be meant by the term adfines (Liv. 43.116, 2; Kuntze, Curs. § 697). The shares (partes) in these companies were sold and rose and fell in price (Cic. pro Rab Post. 2, 4; in Vat. 12, 29). Some account of their proceedings is given in Cic. Ver. 2.7. 0-77, § § 170-190.
[H.J.R]