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Quintilian · Institutes of Oratory §5.3.1

Public Report and Rumor as Evidence and Their Refutation

Passage 127 of 366 · Latin

Summary

Explains that regarding common reports and rumors, one party views them as a public consensus and testimony, while the other views them as baseless talk generated by malice and credulity, noting that both sides have plenty of examples.

§5.3.1famam atque rumores pars altera consensum civitatis et velut publicum testimonium vocat, altera sermonem sine ullo certo auctore dispersum, cui malignitas initium dederit, incrementum credulitas; quod nulli non etiam innocentissimo possit accidere fraude inimicorum falsa vulgantium.
One party calls common report and rumors the consensus of the community and, as it were, a public testimony; the other calls them talk dispersed without any certain author, to which malice gave the beginning, and credulity the increase; which can happen to anyone, even the most innocent, through the deceit of enemies spreading falsehoods.
exempla utrinque non deerunt.
Examples will not be lacking on either side.

Notes

  1. §5.3.1cui malignitas initium dederit, incrementum credulitas — The dative singular of the relative pronoun `cui` refers back to the masculine noun `sermonem` ('to which'). The verb `dederit` (perfect subjunctive of characteristic) governs both the clause with `malignitas` as subject and the subsequent clause with `credulitas` as subject, where `dederit` is ellipted.
  2. §5.3.1quod nulli non etiam innocentissimo possit accidere — The neuter singular relative pronoun `quod` acts as a connecting relative referring to the entire situation described in the preceding clause ('talk being spread without a certain author'). `nulli non` is a double negation meaning 'to everyone,' which is further emphasized by `non etiam innocentissimo` ('even to the most innocent').
  3. §5.3.1fraude inimicorum falsa vulgantium — `fraude` is an ablative of cause or means ('by the deceit'). `vulgantium` is the genitive plural of the present participle `vulgans`, modifying `inimicorum`, and takes the substantively used neuter plural accusative `falsa` ('false things') as its direct object.

Cite this passage

Quintilian, Institutes of Oratory §5.3.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi1002.phi001.humanitext-lat2:5.3.1

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