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COMMENTARY TO THE GERMANIC LAWS AND MEDIAEVAL DOCUMENTS SOCIO FISCO In the Theodosian Code there is mention of certain fines which are to be paid to the fiscus, and the formulae in which these fines occur run in stereotyped forms through the documents of the Middle Ages. The expression "Sinceritas tua reiectum quinque libras auri fisco utilitatibus cogat inferre," 1 to which the Interpretatio says "quinque libras fisco inferre cogatur," 1 has given rise to the formula cogente fisco. Since it was a mere phrase without any very distinct meaning, it has been strengthened by the redundant coactus, and for cogente fisco another equivalent phrase could be put, such as distringente, indiscutienti,6 egenti,7 posito 8 fisco, which was still further expanded or corrupted into cum fisco,g una cum 1 i. 9.1. Similarly 1.11.1, vi. 28. 4, vi. 30.10, ix. 17. 4, nc. 21. 4, xiv. 3. 20. Ibid., and N. 23. 1 The ablative absolute is already to be found in Cod. Theod. ?. 1 : "fisco vindicante." "Deinde cogente fisco auri libras 15. argenti pondera 30. coactus exsolvat" (858), Ducange, sub fiscus. 6 " Qui hoc agere temptaverit, inferat cum distringente fisco argenti pondera v, aurique libram unam coactus exsolvat" (813), Devic and Vaissete, Histoire de Languedoc, vol. n, Preuves, col. 79. "Indiscutieni fisco multa conponat" (764), Urkundenbuch der Abtei Sanc t Gallen, Zürich 1863, vol. i, p. 43, and very often. "Inferat partibus vestris . . . fisco discutiente multa conponat" (794), Bibliothèque de l'Ecole des chartes, sér. 2, vol. in, p. 416. i "Duplex satisfaction fisco egenti exsolvat" (627), BM. d. I'Ec. des chartes, vol. vi, p. 52. ' "Et insuper posito fisco . . . coactusexsolvat," MGH., Formulae, p. 107. "Inferat vobis cum fisco auri libras duas," Doniol, Cartul...
