ASY'LUM (Lat., Gk. aat'2or, asylon, right of sanctuary, refuge, a place safe from violence, from a, a prix. syle, right of seizure). A place of refuge. In ancient times, sacred places, especially the temples and altars of the gods, were appointed as asylums to which crim inals as well as persecuted individuals might flee for refuge, and to molest them in such places was regarded as an impiety. An analogous in stitution is the 'cities of refuge' (Num. xxxv. 9-34). Among the Greeks in early times these asylums might be sometimes useful in pre venting hasty retribution; but in the course of time they were so much abused that their sanc tity was in a great measure disregarded. Thus Pausanias, who fled to the altar of Athene, was taken and slain there by the Lacedfemonians, and in other cases the refugee was compelled to leave the asylum by fire or starvation. In Rome, the Emperor Tiberius abolished all such places of refuge from law. excepting those in the temples of Juno and The custom of allowing to real or supposed criminals a place of safety in temples was also adopted by the Chris tian Church. In the time of Constantine the
Great, the churches were made asylums; and Theodosius IT. extended the privilege to all courts, alleys, gardens, and houses belonging to the Church. In A.D. 681 the Synod of Toledo ex tended the privilege of asylum to a space of 30 paces around every church. In the lawless periods of the Middle Ages, the influence of the Church often prevented deeds of gross injustice and violence: hut the sanctity of churches was abused by criminals, and this led to several mod i flea t ions which gradually destroyed the privilege of sanctuary (q.v.). In England it was abolished by acts passed in 1534 and 1697. The word asylum is now applied to places of shelter for unfortunate or destitute persons, and espe cially to hospitals for the insane. See LUNACY.