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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.16.87.pr

Definition of Rome as Urbs and in a Broader Sense

Passage 8901 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Citing Alfenus, the text defines the narrow meaning of Rome as the walled 'city' (urbs) and its broader meaning including continuous buildings, supported by everyday linguistic usage.

[MARCELLUS libro duodecimo digestorum. ] §50.16.87.prUt Alfenus ait, 'urbs' est 'Roma', quae muro cingeretur, 'Roma' est etiam, qua continentia aedificia essent: nam Romam non muro tenus existimari ex consuetudine cotidiana posse intellegi, cum diceremus Romam nos ire, etiamsi extra urbem habitaremus.
[MARCELLUS, Digests, book 12.] As Alfenus says, 'Rome' is the 'city' (urbs) which is enclosed by a wall, and 'Rome' is also where there are continuous buildings; for it can be understood from daily custom that 'Rome' is not thought of as extending only as far as the wall, since we say that we are going to Rome even if we live outside the city.

Notes

  1. §50.16.87.prquae muro cingeretur — The subjunctive cingeretur is used either as a subjunctive of characteristic in the relative clause defining the term, or to denote a subordinate clause in indirect speech quoting Alfenus' definition.
  2. §50.16.87.prmuro tenus — tenus is a postposition governing the ablative (here muro), meaning 'as far as' or 'up to the limit of.'
  3. §50.16.87.prnam Romam ... posse intellegi — posse is the main verb (infinitive) in the indirect speech depending on Alfenus ait, and the accusative-with-infinitive clause Romam ... existimari serves as the subject of the passive infinitive intellegi.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.16.87.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.16.87.pr

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