FALSUM. The oldest legislative provision at Rome against Falsum
was that of the Twelve Tables against false testimony. The next
legislation on Falsum, so far as we know, was a Lex Cornelia, passed
in the time of the Dictator Sulla against forging, concealing,
destroying, or committing any other fraudulent act respecting a
will or other instrument. The offence was a Crimen Publicum, and,
under the emperors, the punishment was deportatio in insulam for the
“honestiores;” and the mines or crucifixion for the “humiliores.”
FALX, _dim._ FALCŬLA (ἅρπη, δρέπανον, _poet._ δρεπάνη, _dim._
δρεπάνιον), a sickle; a scythe; a pruning-knife; a falchion, &c. As
_Culter_ denoted a knife with one straight edge, _falx_ signified
any similar instrument, the single edge of which was curved. Some of
its forms are given in the annexed cut. One represents Perseus with
the falchion in his right hand, and the head of Medusa in his left.
The two smaller figures are heads of Saturn with the falx in its
original form; and the fourth represents the same divinity at full
length.
[Illustration: Falx. (From ancient Cameos.)]
FĂMĬLĬA. The word _familia_ contains the same element as the word
famulus, a slave, and the verb _famulari_. In its widest sense it
signifies the totality of that which belongs to a Roman citizen
who is sui juris, and therefore a paterfamilias. Thus, in certain
cases of testamentary disposition, the word _familia_ is explained
by the equivalent _patrimonium_; and the person who received the
familia from the testator was called _familiae emptor_. But the
word _familia_ is sometimes limited to signify “persons,” that is,
all those who are in the power of a paterfamilias, such as his sons
(_filii-familias_), daughters, grandchildren, and slaves. Sometimes
_familia_ is used to signify the slaves belonging to a person, or to
a body of persons (_societas_).