19:55 Dec 9, 2008 |
Latin to English translations [PRO] Law/Patents - Law (general) | |||||||
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| Selected response from: Péter Jutai Hungary Local time: 10:04 | ||||||
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Summary of answers provided | ||||
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5 | set fine |
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3 +1 | the fine earlier imposed |
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the fine earlier imposed Explanation: Dear Olga, I think, in this case the expression "certae mulctae" simply mean the "earlier imposed fine." The text is about a law, but the law's text didn't come down to us (if I am right), so this here must be a paraphrasis or summary of the original and unknown text. I recommend this meaning because it fits in the picture. The "reus provocare poterat", and if the comitia tributa decided that he was right, he didn't have to pay the fine. But if the comitia decided the other way, the fine (though it was more than it should have been) must have been payed. I don't know, if the text can mean anything else. But I wonder -- if and because the law's text is unknown -- who knocked up this sentence? -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 58 perc (2008-12-09 20:53:42 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- or, another solution, certae multae doesn't mean "the fine earlier imposed", but it means "the fine imposed by the Lex Tarpeia". |
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set fine Explanation: The fine could be 'minima' ('the smallest') or 'maxima' ('the largest'). The Lex Aternia Tarpeia was passed by the consul A. Atinius in 454 BCE. Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 11.1.1, after noting that both the Greek historian Timaeus and the Roman polymath M. Varro supposed that "terram Italiam de Graceo vocabulo appellatam scripserent, quoniam boves Graeca vetere lingua 'italoí' vocitati sint, quorum in Italia magna copia fuerit, bucetaque in ea terra gigni pascique solita sint complurima", goes on to suppose (ibid. 2f.) that "ob eandem causam, quod Italia tunc esset armentossisima, multam, quae appellatur 'suprema', institutam in dies singulos duarum ovium, boum triginta, pro copia scilicet boum proque ovium penuria. sed cum eiusmodi multa pecoris armentique a magistratibus dicta erat, adigebantur boves ovesque alias pretii parvi, alias maioris, eaque res faciebat inaequalem multae poenitionem. idcirco postea lege Aternia constututi sunt in oves singulas aeris deni, in boves aeris centeni. 'minima' autem multa est ovis unius. 'suprema' multa est eius numeri cuius diximus, ultra quem multam dicere in dies singulos ius non est, et propterea 'suprema' appellatur, id est summa et maxima." Hew adds (4) that "quando igitur nunc quoque a magistratibus populi Romani more maiorum multa dicitur vel minima vel suprema, observari solet ut 'oves' genere virili appellentur; atque ita M. Varro verba haec legitima, quibus minima multa diceretur, concepit: M. TERENTIO, QVANDO CITATVS NEQVE RESPONDIT NEQVE EXCVSATVS EST, EGO EI VNVM OVEM MVLTAM DICO; ac nisi eo genere diceretur, negaverunt iustam videri multam." Noctes Atticae, 11.1.1ff. discusses it thus: " |
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