Celsus' Definition of an Action

Notes

1. §44.7.51.prius quod sibi debeatur, iudicio persequendi — The specific content of 'ius' (right) is modified by the genitive gerund 'persequendi' (of pursuing). The object of 'persequendi' is the relative clause 'quod sibi debeatur' (what is owed to oneself). The verb 'debeatur' is in the subjunctive to denote a generic characteristic or a defining clause within an abstract definition. 'iudicio' is an ablative of means/instrument (by judicial process) modifying 'persequendi'.
2. §44.7.51.prsibi — The third-person reflexive pronoun 'sibi' (dative) refers not to the grammatical subject of the sentence ('actio'), but to the implied logical subject who exercises the right (the holder of the 'ius'). It is standard for the reflexive to refer to the logical subject in generalized or abstract definitions.