the laws of the Twelve Tables

tăbŭla, ae, f. [root ta-, tab; whence also taberna, q. v.], a board, plank.

In gen.:

si tabulam de naufragio stultus arripuerit,

Cic. Off. 3, 23, 89; cf. id. Att. 4, 18, 3; Verg. A. 1, 119:

laceras tabulas in litore vidi,

Ov. M. 11, 428:

tabula navis,

Juv. 14, 289; Verg. A. 9, 537:

inauratae,

Plin. 36, 15, 24, § 114:

latera (fossarum) cluduntur tabulis,

id. 33, 4, 21, § 76:

perforatae,

Col. 7, 4, 5.—Esp., a board to play on, Ov. de Nuce, 77; Sen. Tranq. An. 14, 7; Juv. 1, 90.—

In partic.

A writing-tablet; also, a tablet written upon, a writing, as a letter, contract, account, list, will, etc. (cf. tabella):

tabulae litteris Graecis confectae,

Caes. B. G. 1, 29:

cerata,

Plaut. As. 4, 1, 18: litteraria, a writing-tablet for children, Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 10; cf.:

laevo suspensi loculos tabulamque lacerto,

Hor. S. 1, 6, 74; id. Ep. 1, 1, 56:

ponatur calculus assint Cum tabula pueri,

Juv. 9, 41: tabula calculatoria, Schol. Juv. 7, 73.—

Plur., a book of account:

pro tabulis, Ubi aera perscribuntur usuraria,

Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 52; cf.:

multum differt, in arcāne positum sit argentum, an in tabulis debeatur,

Cic. Top. 3, 16:

litterae lituraeque omnes assimulatae, expressae, de tabulis in libros transferuntur,

id. Verr. 2, 2, 77, § 189:

aliquid in tabulas referre,

id. Fl. 9, 20:

tabulas conficere,

id. de Or. 2, 23, 97; id. Verr. 2, 1, 23, § 60; id. Rosc. Com. 2, 5:

unae tabulae proferantur, in quibus vestigium sit aliquod, quod, etc.,

id. Font. 5, 12 (1, 2): novae, new account-books (by substituting which for the old ones debts were abolished in whole or in part), id. Phil. 6, 4, 11; id. Att. 5, 21, 13; 14, 21, 4; id. Off. 2, 23, 84; Caes. B. C. 3, 1; 3, 21; cf. Sall. C. 21, 2. —

A counter, office where records are kept:

suos necessarios conrogat, ut ad tabulam Sextiam sibi adsint horā secundā,

Cic. Quint. 6, 25. —

Adest ad tabulam: licetur Aebutius (a tablet on which an auction was advertised);

hence,

an auction, Cic. Caecin. 6, 16; cf.:

sin ad tabulam venimus, vincemus facultates Othonis,

id. Att. 12, 40, 4. —

Of public records, etc.:

tabula praerogativae,

a list of votes, Cic. Pis. 5, 11; cf. Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 18; 3, 17, 1; Q. Cic. Pet. Cons. 2, 8:

qui de tabulis publicis recitat,

public records, State papers, Cic. Fl. 17, 40; so,

publicae,

id. Arch. 4, 8; Liv. 26, 36, 11.—Esp., the censor ' s lists:

tabularum cura,

Liv. 4. 8, 4:

memoria publica recensionis tabulis publicis impressa,

Cic. Mil. 27, 74; Flor. 1, 6, 3; cf.:

tabulae aereae, in quibus publicae constitutiones inciduntur,

Plin. 34, 9, 21, § 99:

XII. tabulae,

the Twelve Tables, Cic. Rep. 2, 31, 54; so of the tables of the laws:

decem tabulas conscripsisse,

id. ib. 2, 36, 61:

duabus tabulis additis,

id. ib. 2, 37, 63; id. de Or. 1, 43, 193; 1, 44, 195 al.; v. duodecim; cf.:

nequa tabula ullius decreti Caesaris aut beneficii figeretur,

id. Phil. 1, 1, 3:

tabula Sullae,

the list of proscribed persons, Juv. 2, 28; Mart. 5, 69, 2; Cic. Rosc. Am. 8, 21; 9, 26.—

Of any formal or solemn writing:

in tabulas multis haec via fecit iter,

i. e. a will, testament, Ov. A. A. 2, 332; Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 11; Juv. 2, 58; 4, 19; 12, 123; 14, 55; Mart. 5, 39, 2:

Dicaearchi tabulae,

maps, Cic. Att. 6, 2, 3:

lapideae,

Vulg. Exod. 24, 12; id. 2 Cor. 3, 3. —

A painted tablet or panel, a painting, picture:

tabula picta,

Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 34; Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 36; Cic. Brut. 75, 261:

imago in tabulis,

id. Fin. 5, 1, 3; id. de Or. 1, 35, 161; id. Par. 5, 2, 37; Prop. 1, 2, 22; 2, 3, 41; Plin. 35, 9, 36, § 64. — Prov.: manum de tabulā, take your hand from the picture! enough! it is finished! sed heus tu, manum de tabulā, Cic. Fam. 7, 25, 1; cf.:

dixit (Apelles)... uno se praestare, quod manum de tabulā sciret tollere,

Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 80. —

A votive-tablet (on which a shipwreck was painted):

me tabula sacer Votiva paries indicat, etc.,

Hor. C. 1, 5, 13:

largire inopi, ne pictus oberret Caeruleā in tabulā,

Pers. 6, 32 (cf.:

mersā rate naufragus assem Dum rogat et pictā se tempestate tuetur,

Juv. 14, 301). —

A bed or plot of ground in a vineyard, Pall. Jan. 11; id. Febr. 10, 1; 9, 9; Auct. Limit. p. 311 Goes.—

A fold in a garment, Tert. Pall. 1 and 5.

arbĭter, tri, m. [ar = ad (v. ad init.) and bito = eo], orig., one that goes to something in order to see or hear it; hence, a spectator, beholder, hearer, an eye-witness, a witness (class. through all periods; used several times by Plaut., but only twice by Ter.; syn.: testis, speculator, conscius).

In gen.:

aequi et justi hic eritis omnes arbitri,

Plaut. Am. prol. 16:

mi quidem jam arbitri vicini sunt, meae quid fiat domi, Ita per impluvium introspectant,

id. Mil. 2, 2, 3:

ne arbitri dicta nostra arbitrari (i. e. speculari, v. arbitror) queant,

id. Capt. 2, 1, 28; so id. ib. 2, 1, 34; id. Cas. 1, 1, 2; 1, 1, 55; id. Mil. 4, 4, 1; id. Merc. 5, 4, 46; id. Poen. 1, 1, 50; 3, 3, 50; id. Trin. 1, 2, 109:

aut desine aut cedo quemvis arbitrum,

Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 43:

quis est decisionis arbiter?

Cic. Fl. 36:

ab arbitris remoto loco,

id. Verr. 2, 5, 31:

remotis arbitris,

after the removal of, id. Off. 3, 31, 112:

omnibus arbitris procul amotis,

Sall. C. 20, 1 Corte:

arbitros eicit,

Liv. 1, 41:

remotis arbitris,

id. 2, 4:

sine arbitro,

id. 27, 28:

absque arbitris,

Vulg. Gen. 39, 11:

loca abdita et ab arbitris libera,

Cic. Att. 15, 16 B; Just. 21, 4:

secretorum omnium arbiter, i. e. conscius,

Curt. 3, 12, 9:

procul est, ait, arbiter omnis,

Ov. M. 2, 458 (cf. id. ib. 4, 63: conscius omnis abest).—

Esp.

In judic. lang., t. t., prop., he that is appointed to inquire into a cause (cf. adire hiberna, Tac. H. 1, 52, and intervenio) and settle it; hence, an umpire, arbiter, a judge, in an actio bonae fidei (i. e. who decides acc. to equity, while the judex decides acc. to laws), Sen. Ben. 3, 7 (cf. Zimmern, Rechtsgesch. 3 B, § 8; 3 B, § 42; 3 B, § 60 sq., and the jurists there cited).— So in the fragments of the Twelve Tables: JVDICI. ARBITROVE. REOVE. DIES. DIFFISVS. ESTO., ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. reus, p. 227 Müll.: Prae TOR. ARBITROS. TRES. DATO. ap. Fest. s. v. vindiciae, p. 376 Müll., and the ancient judicial formula:

P. J. A. V. P. V. D., i. e. PRAETOREM JVDICEM ARBITRVMVE POSTVLO VTI DET,

Val. Prob. p. 1539 P.:

ibo ad arbitrum,

Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 101; so id. ib. 4, 3, 104:

Vicini nostri hic ambigunt de finibus: Me cepere arbitrum,

Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 90 (arbiter dabatur his, qui de finibus regendis ambigerent, Don.); so,

arbiter Nolanis de finibus a senatu datus,

Cic. Off. 1, 10, 33.—Of the Hebrew judges:

subjacebit damno, quantum arbitri judicaverint,

Vulg. Exod. 21, 22.—Hence, trop.:

Taurus immensus ipse et innumerarum gentium arbiter,

that sets boundaries to numerous tribes, Plin. 5, 27, 27, § 97:

arbitrum familiae herciscundae postulavit,

Cic. Caecin. 7: arbitrum illum adegit (i. e. ad arbitrum illum egit; cf.

adigo),

id. Off. 3, 16, 66:

quis in hanc rem fuit arbiter?

id. Rosc. Com. 4, 12.—In the time of Cicero, when, acc. to the Lex Aebutia, the decisions were given in definite formulae of the praetor, the formal distinction between judex and arbiter disappeared, Cic. Mur. 12 fin. —

Transf. from the sphere of judicial proceedings, a judge, an arbitrator, umpire, in gen.: arbiter inter antiquam Academiam et Zenonem. Cic. Leg. 1, 20, 53:

Judicet Dominus, arbiter hujus diei, inter etc.,

Vulg. Jud. 11, 27.—So of Paris:

arbiter formae,

Ov. H. 16, 69: pugnae, the judge, umpire of the contest, ho brabeutês, Hor. C. 3, 20, 11:

favor arbiter coronae,

which adjudged the prize of victory, Mart. 7, 72, 10.—

He that rules over, governs, or manages something, a lord, ruler, master (mostly poet. or in post-Aug. prose; syn.: rex, dominus): arbiter imperii (Augustus), Ov. Tr. 5, 2, 47:

armorum (Mars),

id. F. 3, 73:

bibendi,

Hor. C. 2, 7, 25 (cf. id. ib. 1, 4, 18: nec regna vini sortiere talis, and in Gr. basileus tou sumposiou):

quo (sc. Noto) non arbiter Hadriae Major,

who rules over the sea, id. ib. 1, 3, 15:

arbiter Eurystheus irae Junonis iniquae,

i. e. the executor, fulfiller of her wrath, Ov. H. 9, 45 al. —In prose, Tac. A. 1, 26:

regni,

id. ib. 13, 14, where Halm reads arbitrium:

rerum,

id. ib. 2, 73:

di potentium populorum arbitri,

id. ib. 15, 24:

(JOVI) RERVM RECTORI FATORVMQVE ARBITRO,

Inscr. Orell. 1269 et saep.

dĕcem-vĭri (in MSS. and old edd. often Xviri), um or ōrum ( gen. -virum, Cic. Agr. 2, 15, 39; 2, 21, 56; id. Rep. 2, 36, 61; Varr. L. L. 9, § 85 Müll.; Liv. 27, 8; 40, 12: -virorum only in Liv., where it is very freq.), m. [vir], a college or commission of ten men, the decemviri or decemvirs, Roman magistrates of various kinds.

The most famous were called decemviri legibus scribundis, the composers of the Twelve Tables, who ruled alone, and absolutely, in the years of Rome 303 to 305 (legally only 303 and 304; hence "neque decemviralis potestas ultra biennium," Tac. A. 1, 1), Cic. Rep. 2, 36 sq.; Liv. 3, 32 sq.; Gell. 20, 1, 3.—In sing., Cic. Rep. 2, 36 fin.; Liv. 3, 33 fin.; 40; 46; 48 al. The fragments which remain of these laws form one of the most important monuments of the early Latin language; and have been critically edited by R. Schoell, Leips., 1866; cf. Momms. Rom. Hist. book 2, ch. 2; Lange, Röm. Alter. 1, 535 sqq.; Wordsworth, Fragm. p. 503 sq.—

Decemviri stlitibus (litibus) judicandis, a standing tribunal for deciding causes involving liberty or citizenship, and which represented the praetor, Cic. Or. 46, 156; Suet. Aug. 36; Dig. 1, 2, 2, § 29; Corp. Inscr. Lat. 8, 38 (A. U. C. 615); cf. Cic. Caec. 33, 97. —In the sing., Inscr. Orell. no. 133 and 554. —

Decemviri agris dividundis, a commission for distributing the public land to the people, Cic. Agr. 1, 6 sq.; 2, 7 sq.; Liv. 31, 4 and 42; cf.:

X. VIR. A. D. A. (i. e. decemviri agris dandis assignandis),

Inscr. Orell. 544.—

Decemviri sacris faciundis, a college of priests who preserved the Sibylline books, had charge of the Apollinaria, etc.; its number in the time of the emperors was increased to sixty, Liv. 10, 8; 25, 12 al.—In sing., Inscr. Orell. 554.

lex, lēgis, f. [perh. Sanscr. root lag-, lig-, to fasten; Lat. ligo, to bind, oblige; cf. religio], a proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill (cf. institutum).

Lit.:

legem ferre: antiquare,

Cic. Off. 2, 21, 73:

rogare,

id. Phil. 2, 29, 72:

leges ac jura ferre,

Juv. 2, 72:

legem promulgavit pertulitque, ut, etc.,

Liv. 33, 46:

Antonius fixit legem a dictatore comitiis latam, qua, etc.,

Cic. Att. 14, 12:

legem sciscere de aliqua re,

id. Planc. 14, 35:

populus R. jussit legem de civitate tribuenda,

id. Balb. 17, 38:

repudiare,

id. Lael. 25, 96.—

Transf.

A bill which has become a law in consequence of its adoption by the people in the comitia, a law (cf.: jus, fas; decretum, edictum, scitum): legem constituere alicui, Cic. Caecin. 14, 40:

legem gravem alicui imponere,

id. Ac. 2, 8, 23:

legem neglegere, evertere, perfringere,

id. Cat. 1, 7, 18:

neglegere, perrumpere,

id. Leg. 1, 15, 42:

leges ac jura labefactare,

id. Caecin. 25, 70:

legem condere,

Liv. 3, 34: leges duodecim tabularum, the laws composed by the decemvirs, the foundation of Roman legislation, Liv. 3, 33 sq.:

nunc barbaricā lege certumst jus meum omne persequi,

i. e. by the Roman law, that of the Twelve Tables, Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 32.—

Esp. in phrases.

Lege and legibus, according to law, by law, legally:

ejus morte ea ad me lege redierunt bona,

Ter. And. 4, 5, 4:

Athenas deductus est, ut ibi de eo legibus fieret judicium,

Nep. Phoc. 3, 4.—

Legis actio, a statutory process:

actiones quas in usu veteres habuerunt legis actiones appellabantur, vel ideo quod legibus proditae sunt,... vel ideo quia ipsarum legum verbis accommodatae erant, et ideo inmutabiles proinde atque leges observabantur,

Gai. Inst. 4, 11; cf. § 12 sqq.—

Hence, in partic.: lege agere, to proceed strictly according to law.

Of the lictor, to execute a sentence:

Fulvius praeconi imperavit, ut lictorem lege agere juberet,

Liv. 26, 15, 9. —

To bring a legal or statutory action: una injuria est tecum. Chr. Lege agito ergo, Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 90: lege agito dicebatur ei cujus intentio contemptibilis adversario videbatur, Don. ad Ter. l. l.: lege agito mecum;

molestus ne sis,

Plaut. Aul. 3, 3, 11:

lege egit in hereditatem paternam exheres filius,

Cic. de Or. 1, 38, 175; 1, 36, 167; id. Verr. 2, 1, 45, § 115.—

Fraudem legi facere, to evade the law:

ut ne legi fraudem faciant aleariae, adcuratote ut, etc.,

the law against dicing, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 9:

quod emancupando filium fraudem legi fecisset,

Liv. 7, 16, 9; cf. Val. Max. 8, 6, 3; cf.

also: facio fraudem senatus consulto,

Cic. Att. 4, 12, 1.—

In gen., a law, precept, regulation, principle, rule, mode, manner:

qui disciplinam suam legem vitae putet,

Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11:

communis condicio lexque vitae,

id. ib. 4, 29, 62; id. Balb. 7, 18:

haec lex in amicitia sauciatur,

id. Lael. 12, 40:

quaero cur vir bonus has sibi tam gravis leges imposuerit,

id. Ac. 2, 8, 23:

lex veri rectique,

id. ib. 2, 9, 27:

aliquam legem vitae accipere,

Sen. Ep. 108, 6:

ad legem naturae revertamur,

id. ib. 25, 4:

leges in historia observandae,

Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 5:

quis nescit primam esse historiae legem, ne quid falsi dicere audeat?

id. de Or. 2, 15, 62; id. Fam. 5, 12, 3:

vetus est lex amicitiae, ut idem amici semper velint,

id. Planc. 2, 5:

hanc ad legem formanda est oratio,

id. de Or. 3, 49, 190:

versibus est certa quaedam et definita lex,

id. Or. 58:

legibus suis (i. e. philosophiae) parere,

id. Tusc. 5, 7, 19:

leges Epicuri,

id. ib. 5, 37, 108; 4, 4, 7; Sen. Ep. 94, 15; Suet. Ner. 24:

vetus lex sermonis,

Quint. 1, 5, 29:

contra leges loquendi,

id. 1, 8, 13:

lex et ratio loquendi,

Juv. 6, 453:

secundum grammaticam legem,

Gell. 13, 21, 22:

legem esse aiunt disciplinae dialecticae, etc.,

id. 16, 2, 1:

citharae leges,

Tac. A. 16, 4:

beneficii,

Sen. Ben. 2, 10, 4:

sic ingens rerum numerus jubet atque operum lex,

Juv. 7, 102:

scimus hujus opusculi illam esse legem, etc.,

Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 5:

qui titulus sola metri lege constringitur,

id. ib. 4, 14, 8.—Of things:

quā sidera lege mearent,

by what law, what rule, Ov. M. 15, 71.—Hence, sine lege, without order, in confusion, confusedly:

exspatiantur equi... quaque impetus egit, Hac sine lege ruunt,

Ov. M. 2, 204:

jacent collo sparsi sine lege capilli,

id. H. 15, 73:

haec in lege loci commoda Circus habet,

quality, nature, id. Am. 3, 2, 20; cf.:

sub lege loci sumit mutatque figuras,

id. Hal. 32.—

A contract, agreement, covenant:

oleam faciundam hac lege oportet locare, etc.,

Cato, R. R. 145:

in mancipii lege,

a contract of sale, Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 178; cf.:

Manilianas venalium vendendorum leges ediscere,

id. ib. 1, 58, 246: collegii Aesculapii, Inscr. ap. Fabrett. p. 724, n. 443.—

A condition, stipulation (cf. condicio).

In gen. (mostly ante-class.):

ego dabo ei talentum, primus qui in crucem excucurrerit, Set ca lege, ut offigantur bis pedes,

Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 13:

quia nequit, qua lege licuit velle dixit fieri,

id. Stich. 3, 1, 58: estne empta mi haec? Pe. His legibus [p. 1056] habeas licet, id. Ep. 3, 4, 39:

hac lege tibi adstringo meam fidem,

Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 22:

legibus dictis,

Liv. 9, 5, 3:

dicta tibi est lex,

Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 18:

sed vos saevas imponite leges,

Juv. 7, 229.—

Hence of conditions or terms of peace:

pax data Philippo in has leges est,

Liv. 33, 30:

quibus ante dictum est legibus, pacem fecerunt,

id. 30, 43:

pacemque his legibus constituerunt,

Nep. Tim. 2:

se sub leges pacis iniquae Tradere,

Verg. A. 4, 618:

leges et foedera jungere,

id. ib. 12, 822:

in leges ire,

Stat. S. 1, 1, 27.—

In eccl. Lat. esp., the law of Moses:

nolite putare quoniam veni solvere legem,

Vulg. Matt. 5, 17; 11, 13;

often called lex Moysi,

id. Luc. 2, 22; id. Act. 15, 5;

but more freq. lex Domini,

id. Luc. 2, 23; id. Psa. 4, 2:

lex Dei,

id. 2 Esdr. 10, 28 sq.;

also cf.: lex Altissimi,

id. Eccl. 19, 21:

lex tua,

id. Psa. 39, 8; 118, 18:

lex mea,

id. Prov. 3, 1.—Also of a precept of the Mosaic law:

ista est lex animantium,

Vulg. Lev. 11, 46:

istae sunt leges quas constituit Dominus,

id. Num. 30, 17.

pontĭfex ( pontŭ-), fĭcis [doubtless from pons-facio; but the original meaning is obscure], m., a Roman high-priest, a pontiff, pontifex (cf.:

antistes, sacerdos): pontifices, ut Q. Scaevola pontifex maximus dicebat, a posse et facere,

Varr. L. L. 5, § 83 Müll.; Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20, on the laws of the Twelve Tables; id. de Or. 3, 19, 73; id. Rep. 2, 14, 26; Liv. 1, 20; Ov. F. 6, 454; Hor. C. 3, 30, 9; 2, 14, 28; 3, 23, 12; id. Ep. 2, 1, 26; Juv. 6, 604. Their chief or president was called Pontifex Maximus, Cic. Agr. 2, 7, 18; id. de Or. 2, 12, 51; Liv. 3, 54; 25, 5 et saep.: MAIOR VESTAE, Inscr. (a. 353 p. Chr. n.) Orell. 3184: pontifices minores, a lower class of pontiffs, minor or sub- pontiffs:

scribae pontificis, quos nunc minores pontifices appellant,

Liv. 22, 57, 3; Cic. Har. Resp. 6, 12; Verr. Fl. Fast. ap. Inscr. Orell. 2, p. 408;

Inscr. Cenot. Pisan. ap. Orell. 643: pontifices seu minores seu maximi,

Lact. 5, 19, 12.—

Transf.

The Jewish high-priest:

Pontifex, id est, sacerdos maximus,

Vulg. Lev. 21, 10:

Caiapham pontificem,

id. Johan. 18, 24.—Hence,

In the Christian period, a bishop, Sid. Carm. 16, 6.

pontĭfex ( pontŭ-), fĭcis [doubtless from pons-facio; but the original meaning is obscure], m., a Roman high-priest, a pontiff, pontifex (cf.:

antistes, sacerdos): pontifices, ut Q. Scaevola pontifex maximus dicebat, a posse et facere,

Varr. L. L. 5, § 83 Müll.; Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20, on the laws of the Twelve Tables; id. de Or. 3, 19, 73; id. Rep. 2, 14, 26; Liv. 1, 20; Ov. F. 6, 454; Hor. C. 3, 30, 9; 2, 14, 28; 3, 23, 12; id. Ep. 2, 1, 26; Juv. 6, 604. Their chief or president was called Pontifex Maximus, Cic. Agr. 2, 7, 18; id. de Or. 2, 12, 51; Liv. 3, 54; 25, 5 et saep.: MAIOR VESTAE, Inscr. (a. 353 p. Chr. n.) Orell. 3184: pontifices minores, a lower class of pontiffs, minor or sub- pontiffs:

scribae pontificis, quos nunc minores pontifices appellant,

Liv. 22, 57, 3; Cic. Har. Resp. 6, 12; Verr. Fl. Fast. ap. Inscr. Orell. 2, p. 408;

Inscr. Cenot. Pisan. ap. Orell. 643: pontifices seu minores seu maximi,

Lact. 5, 19, 12.—

Transf.

The Jewish high-priest:

Pontifex, id est, sacerdos maximus,

Vulg. Lev. 21, 10:

Caiapham pontificem,

id. Johan. 18, 24.—Hence,

In the Christian period, a bishop, Sid. Carm. 16, 6.