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RésuméSur la question des garanties exigées par les cités auprès des particuliers et des magistrats auxquels étaient confiés des fonds publics, le Corpus Juris Civilis apporte un témoignage précieux pour les cités d’Occident, entre le iie et le v e siècle. À l’engagement de terres comme garantie semble préférée une responsabilité personnelle, à l’échelle de tout le patrimoine et transmissible aux héritiers. S’esquisse ainsi une réflexion sur le mode d’attachement des élites aux communautés locales.

The present article intends to study some aspects of the complex system of personal securities and real estate pledges that local élites had to provide in exchange for the public funds with which they were entrusted. It is based on the rich evidence provided by the Corpus Juris Civilis for municipal affairs in the West, between the 2nd and the 5th century a.d. This preliminary approach shows the limited use of real estate pledges and reveals a preference for personal obligations, which included the whole patrimony and concerned its heirs as well. This fact might be considered as important to determine to what extent elites were linked to their community and should therefore be defined in a local context.