§3.10.1ceterum causa omnis, in qua pars altera agentis est, altera recusantis, aut unius rei controversia constat aut plurium.
For the rest, every cause, in which one party is the prosecutor and the other the defender, consists either of a controversy over a single matter or over several.
haec simplex dicitur, illa coniuncta.
The former is called simple, the latter complex.
una controversia est per se furti, per se adulterii.
A single controversy is, by itself, one of theft, or by itself, one of adultery.
plures aut eiusdem generis, ut in pecuniis repetundis, aut diversi, ut si quis sacrilegii et homicidii simul accusetur.
Multiple controversies are either of the same kind, as in cases of extortion, or of different kinds, as when someone is accused of sacrilege and homicide at the same time.
quod nunc in publicis iudiciis non accidit, quoniam praetor certa lege sortitur, principum autem et senatus cognitionibus frequens est et populi fuit;
This does not happen now in public trials, because the praetor draws lots according to a specific law; but it is frequent in the cognitions of the emperors and the senate, and was so in those of the people.
privata quoque iudicia saepe unum iudicem habere multis et diversis formulis solent.
Private trials also often have a single judge for many and various formulae.
§3.10.2nec aliae species erunt, etiamsi unus a duobus dumtaxat eandem rem atque ex eadem causa petet aut duo ab uno aut plures a pluribus, quod accidere in hereditariis litibus interim scimus, quia quamvis in multis personis causa tamen una est, nisi si condicio personarum quaestiones variaverit.
Nor will the species be different, even if one person demands the same thing and from the same cause from at least two others, or two from one, or several from several—which we know sometimes happens in inheritance disputes—because, although many persons are involved, the cause is nevertheless one, unless the condition of the persons should vary the questions.
§3.10.3diversum his tertium genus, quod dicitur comparativum; cuius rei tractatus in parte causae frequens est, ut cum apud centumviros post alia quaeritur et hoc, uter dignior hereditate sit.
A third genre, different from these, is called comparative; the treatment of which is frequent in a part of a cause, as when, before the centumviri, among other things, this also is asked: which of the two is more worthy of the inheritance?
rarum est autem, ut in foro iudicia propter id solum constituantur, sicut divinationes, quae fiunt de accusatore constituendo, et nonnunquam inter delatores, uter praemium meruerit.
But it is rare that trials in the forum are established for this reason alone, as is the case with the divinations which are held for the purpose of appointing a prosecutor, and sometimes among informers, as to which of them has deserved the reward.
§3.10.4adiecerunt quidam numero mutuam accusationem, quae ἀντικατηγορία vocatur, allis videlicet succedere hanc quoque comparativo generi existimantibus, cui similis erit petitionum invicem diversarum, quod accidit vel frequentissime.
Some have added mutual accusation to the number, which is called antikategoria, others of course thinking that this also is subordinate to the comparative genre; to which the mutual demanding of different things will be similar, which happens indeed very frequently.
id si et ipsum vocari debet ἀντικατηγορία (nam proprio caret nomine) duo genera erunt eius, alterum quo litigatores idem crimen invicem intentant, alterum quo aliud atque aliud.
If this itself ought also to be called antikategoria (for it lacks a proper name), there will be two kinds of it: one in which the litigants charge each other with the same crime, the other in which they charge each other with different crimes.
cui et petitionum condicio par est.
To this, the condition of petitions is also equal.
§3.10.5cum apparuerit genus causae, tum intuebimur, negeturne factum, quod intenditur, an defendatur, an alio nomine appelletur, an a genere actionis repellatur; unde sunt status.
When the genre of the cause has appeared, then we shall look to whether the deed which is charged is denied, or defended, or called by another name, or excluded from the genre of the action; from which arise the bases.