pupilli

Pupilli is the nominative plural form of the Latin noun pupillus, meaning a ward or minor under guardianship. The masculine singular is pupillus, and the feminine singular is pupilla; the corresponding feminine plural is pupillae. In Latin, pupilli refers to male wards, while pupillae would denote female wards.

In Roman law and society, a pupillus was placed under tutela, the protective guardianship of a tutor or curator who managed the ward’s person and property until the ward reached the age of majority. The guardian represented the pupil in legal matters, administered the ward’s estate, and protected the ward’s welfare. Wards could be minors born into a family orphans, and the status and duties of guardians were defined in legal texts and later accreted into civil-law tradition.

Usage and context of the term occur primarily in classical and late antique Latin sources, including legal treatises, inscriptions, and narrative works that describe family structure, inheritance, and guardianship. The concept of pupilli provides insight into Roman approaches to parental authority, minority rights, and property administration, as well as the legal mechanisms by which guardians acted on behalf of minors.

See also discussions of pupillus and pupilla for related singular forms, tutela (guardianship), and the broader topic of Roman family law. The term pupilli is of historical and linguistic interest, illustrating how Latin terminology reflected social and legal practices surrounding minors in antiquity.