PATRONUS (Lat.). In Roman Law. A modification of the Latin word pater, father. A denomination applied by Romulus to the first senators of Rome, and which they al ways afterwards bore.
It Is said that Romulus at first appointed a hun dred of them. Seven years afterward, in conse quence of the association of Tatius to the Rimans, a hundred more were appointed, chosen from the Sablnes. Tarquiniva Priscus increased the number to three hundred. Those appointed by Romulus and Tatius were called patres Ma jOrUM pentium, and the others were called patres minorum pentium. These and their descendants constituted the no bility of Rome. The rest of the people were called plebeians, every one of whom was obliged to choose one of these fathers as his patron. The relation thus constituted involved Important consequences.
The plebeian, who was called diens (a client), was obliged to furnish the means of maintenance to his chosen patron, to furnish a portion for his pa tron's daughters, to ransom him and his eons if captured by an enemy, and pay all sums recovered against him by judgment of the courts. The patron, on the other hand, was obliged to watch over the interests of his client, whether present or absent, to protect his person and property, and especially to defend him in all actions brought against him for any cause. Neither could accuse or bear teetimony
against the other, or give contrary votes, etc. The contract was of a sacred nature ; the violation of it was a sort of treason, and punishable as such. Ac cording to Cicero (De Repub. ii. 9), this relation formed an integral part of the governmental sys tem, Et habuit plebem in clientelas princfpum de scriptum, Which he affirms was eminently useful. Blackstone traces the system of vassalage to this ancient relation of patron and client. It was, in fact, of the same nature as the feudal institutions of the middle ages, designed to maintain order in a rising state by a combination of the opposing in terests of the aristocracy and of the common people, upon the principle of reciprocal bonds for mutual interests. Ultimately, by force of radical changes in the institution, the word patronus came to signify nothing more than an advocate.