Agrimensor ( lat. Agrimensor ; lat. Gromatici ) - an ancient Roman land surveyor .
For the ancient Romans, the measurement of fields and arable lands was for a long time a special art of land surveyors ( finitores , metatores , mensores ), which at the end of the republic joined in a separate corporation. In the days of the empire, when the very name Agrimensor ( mensores agrarii , agrimensores ) and Gromatik ( gromaticus , by the name of the geodetic instrument of thunder ) were honored, they became government officials who formed a large and powerful estate .
In addition to the geometrical operations proper, such as measuring, setting boundary stones, taking plans and maintaining a boundary book, they had to express their opinions on legal issues arising over land ownership, and in disputes in which the issue of borders was involved, they performed the duties of the zemstvo judges. The knowledge needed for them, consisting of a mixture of geometric, legal and religious concepts, borrowed in part from the teachings of the Augurs , was taught during the empire in special schools. Teaching led to the formation of a special system and a kind of literature, from which only fragmentary fragments of the I – VI centuries survived.
The oldest of the agricultural writers was Sextus Julius Frontin . In addition, there are works by Balba , Gigina Gromatica , Sicul , and, more recently, Marcus Iunius Nipsus , Innocent and Aggen Urbika .
Texts and Translations
- 2 volumes of Latin texts: Die Schriften der römischen Feldmesser Bd. I. 1848 ; Bd. II. 1852 ).
- Translations of passages by I. A. Gvozdeva. // History of Ancient Rome. Texts and documents: Textbook. Part 1. M., 2004.S. 255-268. Part 2. S.28-44:
- Julius Frontin , “On the type of fields”, “On limits”, “On the art of land surveying”; Gigin Senior, “On Limits”, “On the Status of Fields”, Sikul Flacc , “On the Status of Fields” (Part 1, pp. 259-262);
- Gigin the Younger . “The device of limits” (part 1, p. 262-268);
- Julius Frontin , “On Controversies” (part 2, p. 28-31);
- Gigin the Elder , “On the types of contraversions” (part 2, p.31-35);
- Sicul Flaccus “On the Status of the Fields” (part 2, p. 35-39);
- Ageny Urbik , “On Contraversions Regarding Fields” (part 2, p. 39-44, per. I. A. Gvozdeva and M. V. Durnovo).
- In the Collection Budé series, the publication is launched: Les Arpenteurs romains.
- T. I: Hygin le gromatique - Frontin. Texte établi et traduit par J.-Y. Guillaumin. 2005.336 p.
- T.II: Hygin - Siculus Flaccus. Texte établi et traduit par Jean-Yves Guillaumin. 2010. XXXIII - 251 p.
Literature
- Agrimensors // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
- Kiryushov D.A. Treatises of Siculus Flaccus and the agrarian history of archaic Rome. (unavailable link) // Mnemon. Issue 5. SPb, 2006.