Leges Sacratae

Leges Sacratae (mentioned or referred to by Liv. 2.33, 3.55, 7.41, &c.; and Cic. pro Sest. 7, 16, 30, &c.; de Off. 3.31, 111; de Leg. 2.7, 18, &c.). The term seems properly to have been used of laws to which a religious sanction was attached, so that the person who was convicted of violating them became sacer: Sacratae leges sunt, quibus sanctum est, qui quid adversus eas fecerit, sacer alicui deorum sit cum familia pecuniaque (Festus). As to the nature of the sanction, something more may be gathered from Festus, s. v. Sacer mons: At homo sacer is est, quem populus judicavit ob maleficium, neque fas est eum immolari: sed qui occidit parricidii non damnatur, nam lege tribunicia prima cavetur: si quis eum qui eo plebei scito sacer sit occiderit parricida ne sit. Among such leges sacratae were the Lex Valeria de provocatione, the statute affirming the inviolability of tribuni plebis (Liv. 2.8, 33, 3.55; Cic. de Leg. 3.4, 11), the Lex Icilia de Aventino (Liv. 3.32) and the Lex militaris referred to by Liv. 7.41. See Ernesti's note cited by Orelli, Cicero, viii. p. 257; Ihering, Geist des röm. Rechts, pp. 273-276.