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See a fine commentary on this passage in Sen. de Benef. 4, 17: Quis est, qui non beneficus videri velit? qui non inter scelera et injurias opinionem bonitatis affectet? velit quoque iis videri beneficium dedisse, quos laesit? gratias itaque agi sibi ab his, quos afflixere, patiuntur. Salarium. Properly salt-money, i.e. a small allowance to the soldiers for the purchase of salt.
The fact was, the original word beneficium did signify, in the corrupt Latin of the middle ages, a feoff as well as a benefit in general; and this was enough for the emperor's humour, who would listen to no explanation from the legates, that the word was used, not in its technical, but its classical sense.
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