By classical times, the father's power of life and death had shrunk to that of light punishment, and sons could keep as their own what they earned as soldiers (peculium castrense). By Justinian's day (527-565), the rules of peculium castrense were extended to many sorts of professional earnings; and in other acquisitions, such as property inherited from the mother, the father's rights were reduced to a life interest. (ENCYCLOPÆDIA. BRITANNICA, ad. v. patria potestas). (Nicolini § 582)