Deuteronomy 19:14

Verse Deuteronomy 19:14. Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark] Before the extensive use of fences, landed property was marked out by stones or posts, set up so as to ascertain the divisions of family estates. It was easy to remove one of these landmarks, and set it in a different place; and thus the dishonest man enlarged his own estate by contracting that of his neighbour. The termini or landmarks among the Romans were held very sacred, and were at last deified.

To these termini Numa Pompillus commanded offerings of broth, cakes, and firstfruits, to be made. And Ovid informs us that it was customary to sacrifice a lamb to them, and sprinkle them with its blood: -

Spargitur et caeso communis terminus agno.

FAST. lib. ii., ver. 655.

And from Tibullus it appears that they sometimes adorned them with flowers and garlands: -

Nam veneror, seu stipes habet desertus inagris,

Seu vetus in trivio florida serta lapis.

ELEG. lib. i., E. i., ver. 11.

"Revere each antique stone bedeck'd with flowers,

That bounds the field, or points the doubtful way."

GRAINGER.

It appears from Juvenal that annual oblations were made to them: -

-------------Convallem ruris aviti

Improbus, aut campum mihi si vicinus ademit,

Aut sacrum effodit medio de limite saxum,

Quod mea cum vetulo colult puls annua libo.

SAT. xvi., ver. 36.

"If any rogue vexatious suits advance

Against me for my known inheritance,

Enter by violence my fruitful grounds,

Or take the sacred landmark from my bounds,

Those bounds which, with procession and with prayer

And offer'd cakes, have been my annual care."

DRYDEN.

In the digests there is a vague law, de termino moto, Digestor. lib. xlvii., Tit. 21, on which Calmet remarks that though the Romans had no determined punishment for those who removed the ancient landmarks; yet if slaves were found to have done it with an evil design, they were put to death; that persons of quality were sometimes exiled when found guilty; and that others were sentenced to pecuniary fines, or corporal punishment.