PLĂGĬUM

the offence of kidnapping, concealing, and selling freemen and other persons’ slaves was the subject of a Fabia Lex ( B.C. 183). The penalty of the lex was pecuniary; but this fell into disuse, and persons who offended against the lex were punished according to the nature of their offence; under the empire they were generally condemned to the mines. The word Plagium is said to come from the Greek πλάγιος , oblique, indirect, dolos us. He who committed plagium was plagiarius , a word which Martial applies to a person who falsely gave himself out as the author of a book; and in this sense the word has come into common use in our language.