«Madri di latte» e politica criminale. Osservazioni in margine a CTh. 9.31 (Ne pastoribus dentur filii nutriendi)

The paper focuses on how the legislation from the court of Honorius seems to reflect the turmoil that results when Italy was invaded by Alaric. These disruptions probably increased brigandage as more soldiers deserted and the emperor concentrated its efforts on fighting invaders and usurpers. A proof that the banditry was very much on the increase throughout the western provinces of the Roman Empire is provided by a law of Honorius, which forbids the inhabitants of towns from allowing their children to be raised by shepherds but makes it possible for other rusticani to offer their wet nursing services. According to the legal provisions of CTh. 9.31.1, it seems likely that the emperor was attempting to curb links between upland pastoralists and those who lived in arable farming (or urban communities) to counteract the practice of harbouring and to protect the city.

Il saggio si propone di identificare quali fattori abbiano influito sulle scelte di politica criminale dell’imperatore Onorio tradotte nel singolare dettato dell’excerptum tradito da CTh. 9.31.1; segnatamente, attraverso l’analisi del contesto storico e geografico di applicazione della costituzione, si vuole dimostrare come l’avversione di Onorio per il ‘tradere filios suos nutriendos pastoribus’ non sia soltanto l’espressione di un pregiudizio antico, quanto soprattutto la risposta repressiva a un problema locale e contingente di ordine pubblico: la recrudescenza del fenomeno del brigantaggio in certune aree della pars occidentalis all’indomani dell’invasione di Alarico.