Graham, Alexander: Roman Africa: an outline of the history of the Roman occupation of North Africa ; based chiefly upon inscriptions and monumental remains in that country (London [u.a.], 1902)

Africa under Marcus Aurelius 189

of Commodus was unearthed at a place called Souk-el-Kmis,
east of Bulla Regia, and described by M. Tissot. There are
four columns of letters, each of thirty lines, the first column
being unfortunately broken and the words illegible. An
interpretation of the three legible columns has been given
by Mommsen, from which it appears that the colonists on
a certain estate named Saltus Buritanus, had cause to com-
plain to the Emperor of the exorbitant demands of a Roman
tax-collector named ^Elius Maximus. In accordance with a
written law, the colonists were bound to provide six days'
labour per head of the male population in the course of the
year:—two for ordinary labour, two for weeding and cleaning
the land, and two in time of harvest. The demands of the
government agent being in excess of this stipulation, the colo-
nists petitioned the Emperor Commodus for redress. According
to the inscription this petition was favourably considered, with
the result that the agent and his subordinate officers were
restrained from demanding more than the law permitted. There
is a tone of piteousness in the wording of the memorial which
is very touching. ' We are only poor peasants,' say the peti-
tioners in their address to the Emperor. ' We earn our living by
the sweat of our brows. Have pity on us poor sons of the soil,
and let us not be molested by the tax-gatherers on the estate.'1
Whether this petition ever reached the Emperor in person is
doubtful. From his general line of conduct, utter indifference
to the wants and aspirations of the people in Rome, and total
neglect of his enterprising colonists in all parts of the Empire,
we may assume that this grievance was redressed by the governor
of the province in the Emperor's name.

The word saltus as applied to a large domain or estate, such
as the Saltus Buritanus above mentioned, is of frequent occur-
rence in inscriptions in North Africa. In its restricted sense
the word means a large tract of grazing land for cattle, combined
with ranges of woodland for shelter. In course of time, when
pastoral life gave place to the permanent settlement of colonists
on estates possessing these combined advantages, village com-
munities sprang up, and in some instances small towns were
included in any tract of land that had been recognised as a
saltus. The history of some of these estates has a special
1 C. Tissot, Le Bassin du Bagrada,