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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.16.233.pr-50.16.233.2

Etymologies of Deceit and Weapons with Vows for the Emperor

Passage 9047 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Gaius explains the legal and etymological interpretations of 'caluitur' and 'telum' in his commentary on the Twelve Tables, while also mentioning the vows undertaken for the emperor's safety shortly after the Kalends of January.

[IDEM libro primo ad legem duodecim tabularum. ] §50.16.233.prSi caluitur': et moretur et frustretur.
[THE SAME, in the first book on the Law of the Twelve Tables.] "Si caluitur" means both to delay and to frustrate.
inde et calumniatores appellati sunt, quia per fraudem et frustrationem alios uexarent litibus: inde et cauillatio dicta est.
Hence also "calumniatores" are so called, because through fraud and frustration they vex others with lawsuits; hence also "cauillatio" is so called.
§50.16.233.1Post kalendas Ianuarias die tertio pro salute principis uota suscipiuntur. '
On the third day after the Kalends of January, vows are undertaken for the safety of the prince.
§50.16.233.2Telum' uolgo quidem id appellatur, quod ab arcu mittitur: sed non minus omne significatur, quod mittitur manu: ita sequitur, ut et lapis et lignum et ferrum hoc nomine contineatur: dictumque ab eo, quod in longinquum mittitur, Graeca uoce figuratum ἀπὸ τοῦ τηλοῦ.
"Telum" is commonly indeed called that which is shot from a bow; but no less is everything meant which is thrown by hand: thus it follows that both stone and wood and iron are included under this name; and it is derived from that which is thrown far, figured from the Greek phrase "ἀπὸ τοῦ τηλοῦ".
et hanc significationem inuenire possumus et in Graeco nomine: nam quod nos telum appellamus, illi βέλος appellant ἀπὸ τοῦ βάλλεσθαι.
And we can find this meaning also in the Greek name: for what we call "telum", they call "βέλος" from "βάλλεσθαι".
admonet nos Xenophon, nam ita scribit: καὶ τὰ βέλη ὁμόσε ἐφέρετο, λόγχαι τοξεύματα σφενδόναι, πλεῖστοι δὲ καὶ λίθοι. et id, quod ab arcu mittitur, apud Graecos quidem proprio nomine τόξευμα uocatur, apud nos autem communi nomine telum appellatur.
Xenophon reminds us, for he writes thus: "and the βέλη flew together, spears, arrows, slings, and very many stones." And that which is shot from a bow is called among the Greeks by its proper name "τόξευμα", but among us it is called by the common name "telum".

Notes

  1. §50.16.233.prSi caluitur — A quotation from the Law of the Twelve Tables (Table 1, Law 2). Gaius defines the disputed meaning of the deponent verb caluor (to deceive, delay) doubly as 'both to delay (morari) and to frustrate (frustrari)'. The subjunctive forms 'et moretur et frustretur' are used for definition or in a virtual oblique clause explaining the condition.
  2. §50.16.233.2dictumque ab eo, quod in longinquum mittitur — The copula 'est' is omitted in 'dictum [est]'. The phrase 'ab eo' indicates the origin of the etymology ('derived from that'), with 'quod...' functioning as a relative clause referring back to 'eo'. The whole clause explains the etymological derivation: 'it was so called from the fact that it is thrown far.'
  3. §50.16.233.2καὶ τὰ βέλη ὁμόσε ἐφέρετο, λόγχαι τοξεύματα σφενδόναι, πλεῖστοι δὲ καὶ λίθοι — A quotation from Xenophon's Anabasis (4.3.29). The subject is 'τὰ βέλη' (missiles), which is placed in apposition with the list of specific weapons (λόγχαι, τοξεύματα, σφενδόναι, λίθοι). This is presented as classical Greek evidence that the term 'telum' (missile) has a broad meaning, including stones and spears, not just arrows.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.16.233.pr-50.16.233.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.16.233.pr-50.16.233.2

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