Publican

Publican
Publican
A member or employee of the Roman financial companies who collected the taxes.

Catholic Encyclopedia. . 2006.

Publican
    Publican
     Catholic_Encyclopedia Publican
    Publican, in the Gospels, is derived from the publicanus of the Vulgate, and signifies a member or employee of the Roman financial companies who farmed the taxes. From the time of the Republic the Roman State relieved itself of the trouble of collecting the taxes in the provinces by putting up the taxes of each in a lump sum to auction. The highest bidder received the authorization to extort the sum from the province in question. Such a system afforded ample opportunity for rapacious exactions on the part of the company and its officials, and the abuses were often intolerable. On account of these, and more, perhaps, because of the natural though impotent Jewish hatred of the Roman supremacy, those of the Jews who found it profitable thus to serve the foreign rulers were objects of execration to their countrymen. In the Gospel narrative we find them as a class habitually coupled with "sinners" and the "heathen". The attitude of Christ towards this, as well as other despised classes, was that of an uplifting sympathy. One great reproach cast upon Him by His enemies, the self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees, was His friendship for, and association with publicans and sinners; and consistently with this conduct it pleased Him to choose as one of the twelve Apostles Levi or Matthew the Publican (Matt., ix, 9).
    MAAS, Comment. of Gospel of St. Matthew (New York, 1898); DIETRICH, Die rechtliche Natur der Societas publicanorum (Meissen, 1889); THIBAULT, Les douanes chez les Romains (Paris, 1888).
    JAMES F. DRISCOLL.
    Transcribed by WGKofron With thanks to St. Mary's Church, Akron, Ohio

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


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  • publican — PUBLICÁN, publicani, s.m. Persoană care strângea impozitele la romani. – Din lat. publicanus. Trimis de oprocopiuc, 24.04.2004. Sursa: DEX 98  publicán s. m. (sil. bli ), pl. publicáni Trimis de siveco, 10.08.2004. Sursa: Dicţionar ortografic … …   Dicționar Român

  • Publican — Pub li*can, n. [L. publicanus: cf. F. publicain. See {Public}.] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) A farmer of the taxes and public revenues; hence, a collector of toll or tribute. The inferior officers of this class were often oppressive in their exactions, and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • publican — (n.) c.1200, tax gatherer, from O.Fr. publician (12c.), from L. publicanus a tax collector, originally an adjective, pertaining to public revenue, from publicum public revenue, noun use of neuter of publicus (see PUBLIC (Cf. public)). Original… …   Etymology dictionary

  • publican — ► NOUN 1) Brit. a person who owns or manages a pub. 2) Austral. a person who owns or manages a hotel. 3) (in ancient Roman and biblical times) a tax collector. ORIGIN Latin publicanus, from publicum public revenue …   English terms dictionary

  • publican — [pub′li kən] n. [ME < L publicanus < publicus: see PUBLIC] 1. in ancient Rome, a collector of public revenues, tolls, etc. 2. Brit. a saloonkeeper; innkeeper …   English World dictionary

  • Publican — In antiquity, publicans (Latin publicanus (singular); publicani (plural)) were public contractors, in which role they often supplied the Roman legions and military, managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw public building projects. In… …   Wikipedia

  • publican — UK [ˈpʌblɪkən] / US noun [countable] Word forms publican : singular publican plural publicans British someone who owns or manages a pub …   English dictionary

  • publican — noun a) the landlord of a public house I went into a public ouse to get a pint o beer, b) a tax collector in ancient Rome The publican e up an sez, We serve no red coats here …   Wiktionary

  • publican — [12] The modern use of publican for ‘innkeeper’ dates from the early 18th century, and presumably arose from an association with public house. Its original meaning was ‘tax collector’. It comes via Old French publicain from Latin pūblicānus… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • publican — [[t]pʌ̱blɪkən[/t]] publicans N COUNT A publican is a person who owns or manages a pub. [BRIT, FORMAL] Syn: landlady, landlord …   English dictionary

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