# respectable confinement



## Kurtchen

Hi all,

I'm looking for the/a 'proper' translation of the above expression, preferably one that had currency in late antiquity up to the early Middle Ages. I was thinking maybe 'custodia honesta' could work, but after doing some quick reading I'm not convinced that - though outwardly similar - the concept is quite the same. Any help finding a close match is greatly appreciated


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## Cagey

Hello Kurtchen. 

Could you be more specific?  What sort of situation are you describing?

I don't recognize 'respectable confinement' as a set concept, though I would probably understand it in a particular context.


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## Kurtchen

Sorry for my belated response. I was thinking barbarian hostages kept as securities, and to a lesser degree 'political' prisoners and exilés who, for reasons of state, instead of being incarcerated, were banished to remote places to live with all amenities. I realize that it is probably too broad a description, but your saying that it may not actually be set concept is good enough for me. Thanks for your time


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## Scholiast

Greetings


> instead of being incarcerated, were banished to remote places to live with all amenities



An obvious example of this was Caesar's proposal in the senatorial debate of 5th Dec. 63 BC, as recorded by Sallust (_Cat._ 51.43), that the Catilinarian conspirators should be kept indefinitely under house arrest in widely scattered Italian towns, "ipsos in vinculis habendos per municipia".


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## Kurtchen

Would I hadn't mentioned political prisoners... The problem is those  house arrests were meted out as punishment for conspiring criminals but  the status of hostages was more or less that of involuntary guests?


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## Scholiast

salve Kurtchen!

The phrase _libera custodia_, or the plural _liberis custodiis_ (L&S have references to Livy and Velleius as well as to Sallust (_Cat_. 47.3)), is used for the kind of house arrest, under the supervision and surety of a senior and trusted citizen, that might be applied to persons suspected of crimes but not yet brought to trial (so still notionally "innocent"), rather as individuals today may be released on bail.

It seems to me that this would fit your context - particularly for aristocratic hostages - in mid- to late Republican times.


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## Kurtchen

Thanks again, I really appreciate it


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