Aemilian Law
Preserved but no longer current.
A law made by the praetor Aemilius Mamercus empowering the eldest praetor to drive a nail in the Capitol on the ides of September. This was a ceremony by which the Romans supposed that a pestilence could be stopped or a calamity averted.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Aemilian Law” mean?
A law made by the praetor Aemilius Mamercus empowering the eldest praetor to drive a nail in the Capitol on the ides of September. This was a ceremony by which the Romans supposed that a pestilence could be stopped or a calamity averted.
Is “Aemilian Law” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.