pĕcūlĭum, ii, n. [pecus], lit., property in cattle; hence, as in early times all property consisted of cattle, in gen., property.
I Lit.
A In gen.: peculi sui prodigi (servi), Plaut. Most. 4, 1, 19: cupiditas peculii, Cic. Par. 5, 2 fin. : cura peculi, Verg. E. 1, 33 Serv.; Hor. A. P. 330.—
B In partic., private property.
1 What the master of the house saves and lays by, money laid by , savings , Dig. 32, 1, 77.—
2 What a wife owns as her independent property, and over which her husband has no control, a private purse , paraphernalia , Dig. 23, 3, 9, § 3.—
3 That which is given by a father or master to his son, daughter, or slave, as his or her private property : frugi sum, nec potest peculium enumerari, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 91: adimere servis peculium, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 17; 1, 17, 5: filii, Liv. 2, 41; cf. Sen. Ep. 11, 1: Juliam uxorem peculio concesso a patre praebitisque annuis, fraudavit, Suet. Tib. 50: cultis augere peculia servis, fees , Juv. 3, 189.—
4 Castrense, the private property of a son acquired by military service , with the consent of his father (profecticium), or by inheritance through his mother (adventicium); then called quasi castrense, Dig. 49, 17, 5 sqq.; Paul. Sent. 3, 4; cf. Dig. 37, 6, 1.—
5 = membrum virile, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 92; id. Most. 1, 3, 96; Petr. S. 8; Lampr. Elag. 9; cf. peculiatus.—
II Trop., that which belongs to one's self , one's own. —Of a letter: sine ullo ad me peculio veniet? without any thing for myself , Sen. Ep. 12, 9.—Of the people of lsrael: erunt mihi, in die quā ego facio, in peculium, Vulg. Mal. 3, 17.