Of the duration of life in the earlier periods of the history of the human race we know nothing with exactness, though there are incidental statements which afford the means of deducing with some probability the rate of mortality in particular situations. There has come down to us one document through Domitius Ulpianus, a judge, who flourished in the reign of Alexander Severus, which enables us to form a probable conjecture at least of the opinion of the Roman people of the value of life among the citizens of Rome in that age. It happened at Rome as in other countries, that when an estate came into the possession of an individual it was burthened with a provision for another person during the life of the latter, a younger brother, for example. This provision was called by the Romans an aliment. No estate, burthened with such a provision, could be sold by the heir in possession, unless the purchaser retained in his hands so much of the price as was deemed adequate to secure the regular and continuous payment of the aliment. This imposed upon the Romans the necessity of considering what the term of life would probably be from and after any given age. What they did conceive that term to be is stated in a document of Ulpianus, recorded by Justinian, and given in the note below.[1] This document imports that from infancy up to the age of 20 there should be allowed 30 years From 20 to 25 " " " " 28 " 25 to 30 " " " " 25 " 30 to 35 " " " " 22 " 35 to 40 " " " " 20 " ———— From 50 to 55 " " " " 9 " 55 to 60 " " " " 7 " And at all ages above 60 " " " " 5 " But between 40 and 50, as many years were to be allowed as the age of the party fell short of 60, deducting one year.