decoctor

• one who has squandered his own or another's property, a ruined spendthrift, bankrupt, Cic. Phil. 2, 18; id. Cat. 2, 3; Cat. 41, 4: pecuniae publicae, Cod. Theod. 12, 1, 117 al.: bonorum suorum, Spart. Hadr. 18, 9; Sen. Ep. 81, 2; id. Ben. 4, 26, 3.

• decoquo, a spendthrift, ruined man, bankrupt.

DECOCTORa bankrupt (Plin. Nat.33.133), was used in popular language to signify any spendthrift. The Romans were a frugal people, and spendthrifts were not only condemned by public opinion (Catull. 41.4; Cic. Cat. 2.3, 5; Sen. Ep. 36, 5; de Ben. 4.26, 3), but punished by the censors with the nota censoria, which carried with it certain legal disabilities. [CENSORp. 401 b. ] By the Lex Roscia (B.C. 67) a certain place in the theatre was assigned to spendthrifts (Cic. Phil. 2.1. 8, 44; Juven. 3.153). According to Spartianus, Hadrian ordered that spendthrifts should be flogged ignominiously (catomidiari) in the amphitheatre and turned out (Spart. Hadrian. 18). The Roman law against persons who would not pay borrowed money was very severe, and is explained under NEXUMIts severity was mitigated by the BONORUM CESSIOBy a constitution of the emperors Valentinian, Theodosius, and Arcadius, any decurio who had dissipated the funds of the city (decoctor pecuniae publicae) was to be scourged (plumbatarum ictibus, Cod. Justin. 10.31, 40; Humbert in Daremberg and Saglio, s. v.).

A bankrupt; a term used in popular language to signify any spendthrift. The Romans were a frugal people, and spendthrifts were not only condemned by public opinion (Catull. xli. 4; Cat. ii. 3, 5) but punished by the censors with the nota censoria, which carried with it certain legal disabilities. By the Lex Roscia (B.C. 67) a certain place in the theatre was assigned to spendthrifts (Cic. Phil. ii. 18). According to Spartianus, Hadrian ordered that spendthrifts should be flogged ignominiously (catomidiari) in the amphitheatre and turned out (Spart. Hadr. 18). The Roman law against persons who would not pay borrowed money was very severe and is explained under Nexum. Its severity, however, was mitigated by the bonorum cessio (q. v.). By a constitution of the emperors Valentinian, Theodosius, and Arcadius, any decurio who had dissipated the funds of the city (decoctor pecuniae publicae) was to be scourged.