Lex Aelia Sentia

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Lex Aelia Sentia was a law established in ancient Rome in 4 AD.

It was one of the laws that national assemblies had to pass (after they were asked to do so by emperor Augustus). This law (as well as Lex Fufia Caninia), has made limitations on manumissions.

This law stated that for a manumission to be valid a master had to have at least twenty, and a slave at least thirty years. The only exception was manumissio vindicta (and only in cases of consanguinity, or if they wanted to get married).

These limitations on manumissions were made when the number of manumissions were so large (at the end of republic and the beginning of empire), that they even questioned the social system of the time.