BENEFICIA

1 definition found

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  BENEFICIA. In the early feudal times, grants were made to continue only 
  during the pleasure of the grantor, which were called munera, (q. v.) but 
  soon afterwards these grants were made for life, and then they assumed the 
  name of beneficia. Dalr. Feud. Pr. 199. Pomponius Laetus, as cited by 
  Hotoman, De Feudis, ca. 2, says, " That it was an ancient custom, revived by 
  the emperor Constantine, to give lands and villas to those generals, 


  prefects, and tribunes, who had grown old in enlarging the empire, to supply 
  their necessities as long as they lived, which they called. parochial 
  parishes, &c. But, between (feuda) fiefs or feuds, and (parochias) parishes, 
  there was this difference, that the latter were given to old men, veterans, 
  &c., who, as they had deserved well of the republic, sustained the rest of 
  their life (publico beneficio) by the public benefaction; or, if any war 
  afterwards arose, they were called out, not so much as soldiers, as leaders, 
  (majistri militum.) Feuds, (feuda,) on the other hand, were usually given to 
  robust young men who could sustain the labors of war. In later times, the 
  word parochia was appropriated exclusively to ecclesiastical persons, while 
  the word beneficium (militare) continued to be used in reference to military 
  fiefs or fees.