THE ROMAN COLLEGIA.
aira
called
''
cocfnatio."
43
This boud of connection the
allowing the assumption of kinship,
it
civil law ratified and extended; for,
on the sodalcs another duty in addition to those
imposed
already taken, by compelling any one of them to accept the guardianship of the child of a
deceased colleague."
Although no rules are extant of any of the trade colleges of the Eomans, some of those
Of one of these lastamong the colleges Cultorum Dei have descended to us.
in use
mentioned corporations the rules or by-laws
corresponding regulations of three guilds
(or,
are
Mr
given by
who next
Coote,
cites
as he prefers to style them, Colleges) established
London, Cambridge, and Exeter respectively, composed of gentlemen or persons unconnected with trade and having carefully compared the rules of the British guilds with
those of the college of cultores dei already quoted, their resemblances are placed in formal
in
;
juxtaposition,
"
and he adds,
These coincidences, which cannot be attributed to imitation or
gild of England with the collegiurn of
mere copying, demonstrate the absolute identity of the
Eome and of Eoman Britain." ^
III. Before considering the various
tion throughout the vast area of the
forms which the colleges assumed on their disseminaempu-e, it will be convenient to state that, by
Eoman
the ancient writers, their institution has been ascribed to ISTuma, although, as Sir Francis
Palgrave has well said, the tradition which links these associations with the name of the
second king of Eome, is perhaps only one way of asserting their immemorial antiquity. They
were abolished by the Senate A. U. C. 685, re-established by Clodius seven years later, but
The spurious or
again abolished, except those of ancient foundation, by Julius Ctesar.
unlawful colleges, however, again revived, and were once more suppressed by Augustus ;
whilst Lampridius specially notices certain colleges created by Alexander Severus, and
states
that all the corporations of artificers were created by this emperor.
however, can only refer to additional privileges, which he
have granted
may
This assertion,
to these bodies,
or to their restoration.*
In the time of Theodosius there were in almost every city and considerable town,
companies of plebeians similar to those which existed at Eome, who either voluntarily or by
compulsion exercised some particular trade or occuj)ation, for the safety, benefit, or amusement
of their fellow- citizens.
These companies were erected from time
good of the community appeared
to require,
requisition of the pro-consul or governor,
assembly of the city or province.*
station
The
by
or at the request of a delegate sent from the
artificers in
the several
between slavery and freedom, but more especially
sacrifices for the fertility of
the
fields,
cities,
who
held an ambiguous
in the East, of
whom
' '
and that the
2, p.
'
2
'
college
thirty-five
name from
offering
the victim (hostia amharvalis) that was slain on the occasion being led three times
round the cornfield before the sickle was put to the corn.
Krause says,
that although the coUegca did not especially
part
especial order of the emperor, obtained at the
the sodalcs called themselves brothers, formed a college of twelve persons, deriving their
tliat
the general
to time, as
was formed on the model of a family
"
This ceremony was also called a lustraiio or purification.
one another ' brother, yet the appellation does occur,
'
call
(Die drei Kunsturkundeu der Freimaurerbruderschaft, vol.
ii.,
166).
Coote,
Coote,
The Romans
The Romans
Plutarch in
Numa;
in Britain, p. 388;
Massman,
Plin., Hist. Nat., lib. xxxiv., c. 50, lib. .x.xxvi.,
Aug. c. 32 Lampridius, Alex. Sev. c. 33.
*Cod. Theod., viii., 1. 6, 9, and 15; Spence,
,
1826, p. 21.
;
p. 83, ยง 189.
in Britain, pp. 390-413.
c.
12.
;
Suetonius in Julius
C.nssar, c. 42,
in
,
An
Inquiry into the Origin of the Laws,
etc.,
of
Modern Europe,