a collector or receiver of the Roman revenues. Judea being
added to the provinces of the Roman empire, and the taxes paid by the
Jews directly to the emperor, the publicans were the officers appointed
to collect them. The ordinary taxes which the Romans levied in the
provinces were of three sorts: 1. Customs upon goods imported and
exported; which tribute was therefore called _portorium_, from _portus_,
“a haven.” 2. A tax upon cattle fed in certain pastures belonging to the
Roman state, the number of which being kept in writing, this tribute was
called _scriptura_. 3. A tax upon corn, of which the government demanded
a tenth part. This tribute was called _decuma_. These publicans are
distinguished by Sigonius into three sorts or degrees,--the farmers of
the revenue, their partners, and their securities; in which he follows
Polybius. These are called the _mancipes_, _socii_, and _prædes_, who
were all under the _quæstore særarii_, that presided over the finances
at Rome. The _mancipes_ farmed the revenue of large districts or
provinces, had the oversight of the inferior publicans, received their
accounts and collections, and transmitted them to the _quæstores
ærarii_. They often let out their provinces in smaller parcels to the
_socii_; so called, because they were admitted to a share in the
contract, perhaps for the sake of more easily raising the purchase
money; at least to assist in collecting the tribute. Both the _mancipes_
and _socii_ are therefore properly styled τελῶναι, from τελος,
_tributum_, and ὠνέομαι, _emo_. They were obliged to procure _prædes_,
or sureties, who gave security to the government for the fulfilment of
the contract. The distribution of Sigonius, therefore, or rather of
Polybius, is not quite exact, since there were properly but two sorts of
publicans, the _mancipes_ and the _socii_. The former are, probably,
those whom the Greeks call ἀρχιτελώναι, _chiefs of the publicans_; of
which sort was Zaccheus. As they were superior to the common publicans
in dignity, being mostly of the equestrian order, so they were generally
in their moral character. But as for the common publicans, the
collectors or receivers, as many of the _socii_ were, they are spoken of
with great contempt, by Heathens as well as Jews; and particularly by
Theocritus, who said, that “among the beasts of the wilderness, bears
and lions are the most cruel; among the beasts of the city, the publican
and parasite.” The reason of the general hatred to them was, doubtless,
their rapine and extortion. For, having a share in the farm of the
tribute, at a certain rate, they were apt to oppress the people with
illegal exactions, to raise as large a fortune as they could for
themselves. Beside, publicans were particularly odious to the Jews, who
looked upon them to be the instruments of their subjection to the Roman
emperors, to which they generally held it sinful for them to submit.
They considered it as incompatible with their liberty to pay tribute to
any foreign power, Luke xx, 22, &c; and those of their own nation that
engaged in this employment they regarded as Heathens, Matthew xviii, 17.
It is even said, that they would not allow them to enter into their
temple or synagogues, nor to join in prayers, nor even allow their
evidence in a court of justice on any trial; nor would they accept of
their offerings in the temple.
It appears by the Gospel that there were many publicans in Judea at the
time of our Saviour. Zaccheus, probably, was one of the principal
receivers, since he is called the chief of the publicans, Luke xix, 2;
but St. Matthew was only an inferior publican. The Jews reproached our
Saviour for showing kindness to these persons, Luke vii, 34; and he
himself ranks them with harlots, Matt. xxi, 31. Some of them, it should
seem, had humbling views of themselves, Luke xviii, 10. Zaccheus assures
our Lord, who had honoured him with a visit, that he was ready to give
the half of his goods to the poor, Luke xix, 8, and to return fourfold
of whatever he had unjustly acquired.
added to the provinces of the Roman empire, and the taxes paid by the
Jews directly to the emperor, the publicans were the officers appointed
to collect them. The ordinary taxes which the Romans levied in the
provinces were of three sorts: 1. Customs upon goods imported and
exported; which tribute was therefore called _portorium_, from _portus_,
“a haven.” 2. A tax upon cattle fed in certain pastures belonging to the
Roman state, the number of which being kept in writing, this tribute was
called _scriptura_. 3. A tax upon corn, of which the government demanded
a tenth part. This tribute was called _decuma_. These publicans are
distinguished by Sigonius into three sorts or degrees,--the farmers of
the revenue, their partners, and their securities; in which he follows
Polybius. These are called the _mancipes_, _socii_, and _prædes_, who
were all under the _quæstore særarii_, that presided over the finances
at Rome. The _mancipes_ farmed the revenue of large districts or
provinces, had the oversight of the inferior publicans, received their
accounts and collections, and transmitted them to the _quæstores
ærarii_. They often let out their provinces in smaller parcels to the
_socii_; so called, because they were admitted to a share in the
contract, perhaps for the sake of more easily raising the purchase
money; at least to assist in collecting the tribute. Both the _mancipes_
and _socii_ are therefore properly styled τελῶναι, from τελος,
_tributum_, and ὠνέομαι, _emo_. They were obliged to procure _prædes_,
or sureties, who gave security to the government for the fulfilment of
the contract. The distribution of Sigonius, therefore, or rather of
Polybius, is not quite exact, since there were properly but two sorts of
publicans, the _mancipes_ and the _socii_. The former are, probably,
those whom the Greeks call ἀρχιτελώναι, _chiefs of the publicans_; of
which sort was Zaccheus. As they were superior to the common publicans
in dignity, being mostly of the equestrian order, so they were generally
in their moral character. But as for the common publicans, the
collectors or receivers, as many of the _socii_ were, they are spoken of
with great contempt, by Heathens as well as Jews; and particularly by
Theocritus, who said, that “among the beasts of the wilderness, bears
and lions are the most cruel; among the beasts of the city, the publican
and parasite.” The reason of the general hatred to them was, doubtless,
their rapine and extortion. For, having a share in the farm of the
tribute, at a certain rate, they were apt to oppress the people with
illegal exactions, to raise as large a fortune as they could for
themselves. Beside, publicans were particularly odious to the Jews, who
looked upon them to be the instruments of their subjection to the Roman
emperors, to which they generally held it sinful for them to submit.
They considered it as incompatible with their liberty to pay tribute to
any foreign power, Luke xx, 22, &c; and those of their own nation that
engaged in this employment they regarded as Heathens, Matthew xviii, 17.
It is even said, that they would not allow them to enter into their
temple or synagogues, nor to join in prayers, nor even allow their
evidence in a court of justice on any trial; nor would they accept of
their offerings in the temple.
It appears by the Gospel that there were many publicans in Judea at the
time of our Saviour. Zaccheus, probably, was one of the principal
receivers, since he is called the chief of the publicans, Luke xix, 2;
but St. Matthew was only an inferior publican. The Jews reproached our
Saviour for showing kindness to these persons, Luke vii, 34; and he
himself ranks them with harlots, Matt. xxi, 31. Some of them, it should
seem, had humbling views of themselves, Luke xviii, 10. Zaccheus assures
our Lord, who had honoured him with a visit, that he was ready to give
the half of his goods to the poor, Luke xix, 8, and to return fourfold
of whatever he had unjustly acquired.