L’uccisione legittima degli animali: sacrificium e sacratio

According to archaic Roman law, the killing of an ox was prohibited, except during a sacrifice or as a consequence of a crime, for which the animal was held directly responsible, determining its sacratio. Consequently, the widespread idea of the dominus’ absolute power over his animals, analogous to that over inanimate res, must be reconsidered. It was only from the 3rd century BC onwards, under the lex Aquilia de damno and in a new economic framework, that animals (or at least oxen) became simple portions of the dominus’ patrimony.