SUMPTUARY LAWS, those laws intended to limit or regulate the private expenditure of the citizens of a community. They have existed both in ancient and in modern States. In Greece, it was amongst the Dorian races, whose temper was austere and rigid, that they most prevailed. All the inhabitants of Laconia were forbidden to attend drinking entertainments, nor could a Lacedaemonian possess a house or furniture which was the work of more elaborate implements than the axe and saw.
At Rome the system of sumptuary edicts and enactments was largely developed, whilst the objects of such legislation were con currently sought to be attained through the exercise of the cen sorial power. The code of the Twelve Tables (q.v.) has provisions limiting the expenditure on funerals. The most important sump tuary laws of the Roman commonwealth were the following :— (I) The Oppian law, 215 B.c., provided that no woman should possess more than oz. of gold, or wear a dress of different colours, or ride in a carriage in the city or within a mile of it except on occasions of public religious ceremonies. This law, which had been partly dictated by the financial necessities of the conflict with Hannibal, was repealed 20 years later, against the advice of Cato. ( 2 ) The Orchian law, 187 B.C., limited the num ber of guests at entertainments. (3) The Fannian law, 161 B.C., limited the sums to be spent on entertainments; it provided amongst other things that no fowl should be served but a single hen, and that not fattened. (4) The Didian law, 143 B.C., ex tended to the whole of Italy the provisions of the Fannian law, and made the guests as well as the givers of entertainments at which the law was violated liable to the penalties. After a con siderable interval, Sulla anew directed legislation against the luxury of the table and also limited the cost of funerals and of sepulchral monuments. Julius Caesar, in the capacity of praefectus moribus, after the African war re-enacted some of the sumptuary laws which had fallen into neglect. Suetonius tells us that Caesar had officers stationed in the market-places to seize such provisions as were forbidden by law, and sent lictors and soldiers to feasts to remove all illegal eatables (Jul. 43). Augus tus fixed anew the expense to be incurred in entertainments. Tiberius also sought to check inordinate expense on banquets.
In modern times the first important sumptuary legislation was: in Italy that of Frederick II. ; in Aragon that of James I. in in France that of Philip IV. ; in England that of Edward II. and
Edward III. In 1294 Philip IV. of France made provisions as to the dress and the table expenditures of the several orders of men in his kingdom. Charles V. forbade the use of long-pointed shoes, a fashion against which popes and councils had protested in vain. Under later kings the use of gold and silver embroidery, silk stuffs and fine linen wares was restricted. In England we hear much from the writers of the 14th century of the ex travagance of dress at that period. In the reign of Edward II. a proclamation had been issued against the "outrageous and ex cessive multitude of meats and dishes which the great men of the kingdom had used, and still used, in their castles." In the year 1336 Edward III. attempted also to legislate against luxurious living, and in 1363, at the same time when costumes were regu lated, it was enacted that the servants of gentlemen, merchants and artificers should have only one meal of flesh or fish in the day, and that their other food should consist of milk, butter and cheese. An act of 1444 had regulated the clothing, when it formed part of the wages, of servants employed in husbandry; a bailiff or overseer was to have an allowance of 5s. a year for his cloth ing, a hind or principal servant 4s., and an ordinary servant 3s. equivalent respectively to 5os., 4os. and 335. 4d. of modern money. Another statute was passed in the year 1462 (3 Edw. IV. c. 5) for the regulation of the dress of persons of all ranks. Similar acts to those above mentioned were passed in Scotland also. In 1433 (temp. James I.), by an act of a parlia ment which sat at Perth, the manner of living of all orders in Scotland was prescribed, and in particular the use of pies and baked meats, which had been only lately introduced into the country, was forbidden to all under the rank of baron. In 1457 (temp. James II.) an act was passed against "sumptuous cleith ing." The Scottish sumptuary law of 1621 was the last of the kind in Great Britain.