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Tinctoris's Minimum Opus
Tinctoris’s Minimum Opus ROB C. WEGMAN (Princeton University) he story has long been known and often been told: as a student at the TUniversity at Orléans, Johannes Tinctoris made a fool of himself.1 Proud of his accomplishments, and pleased especially with his literary prowess, he allowed his vanity to slip through and leave a permanent record, in full view of all posterity, in a document that would survive the centuries. That document, which is still kept at Orléans today, is precious for several reasons – not the least of which is that it is the only surviving text written in the theorist’s own hand. Yet what makes it truly invaluable is what he reveals about himself, intentionally and, perhaps, unintentionally. The text has been transcribed and edited by several modern scholars, and the facts of the case are well known.2 Yet the story they tell remains a footnote to the larger story of Tinctoris’s life. My aim in the pages that follow is to take another close look at the text, and to give it more of the interpretive scrutiny that we are accustomed to give to other documents from this period. Like so many medieval texts, the Orléans document raises questions that may not be obvious in a face-value reading. Indeed, upon sustained scrutiny we may soon find ourselves wondering what, exactly, is the story it tells, how much of a fool Tinctoris really made of himself, and who, ultimately, has the last laugh. Before delving into those questions, however, let us begin by recapitulating the story, and providing some of the context necessary to analyze it. -
The Evolution of the Roman Calendar Dwayne Meisner, University of Regina
The Evolution of the Roman Calendar Dwayne Meisner, University of Regina Abstract The Roman calendar was first developed as a lunar | 290 calendar, so it was difficult for the Romans to reconcile this with the natural solar year. In 45 BC, Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, creating a solar year of 365 days with leap years every four years. This article explains the process by which the Roman calendar evolved and argues that the reason February has 28 days is that Caesar did not want to interfere with religious festivals that occurred in February. Beginning as a lunar calendar, the Romans developed a lunisolar system that tried to reconcile lunar months with the solar year, with the unfortunate result that the calendar was often inaccurate by up to four months. Caesar fixed this by changing the lengths of most months, but made no change to February because of the tradition of intercalation, which the article explains, and because of festivals that were celebrated in February that were connected to the Roman New Year, which had originally been on March 1. Introduction The reason why February has 28 days in the modern calendar is that Caesar did not want to interfere with festivals that honored the dead, some of which were Past Imperfect 15 (2009) | © | ISSN 1711-053X | eISSN 1718-4487 connected to the position of the Roman New Year. In the earliest calendars of the Roman Republic, the year began on March 1, because the consuls, after whom the year was named, began their years in office on the Ides of March. -
The Lex Aquilia and the Standards of Care
ZSOLT SARKADY The Lex Aquilia and the Standards of Care In Ancient Rome the only acts recognized as criminal were „exceptional invasions of public security or of the general order of society".' As such, Roman 'criminal law' would have failed to meet the needs of any highly organized society. The Romans decided upon a „practical remedy", the laws of Delict, by which they „extended the doctrine of civil obligations", 2 to cover the realm of personal property. Violations of these standards of care carried with them „penal consequences". 3 Private law was originally dominated by the Twelve Tables, which soon became „harsh and inflexible antique rules" in cosmopolitan Rome. The „punitive vengeance" of the Twelve Tables evolved into legal sanctions to compel compensation when damage was done to private property. However, these sanctions retained a distinct „punitive character". 4 Sanctions were thus developed to protect three principal rights of the Roman citizen not originally protected by criminal law: the security of his property, his security from theft and his right to be „protected from deliberate anti-social attacks" on his dignity.' The Lex Aquilia governed loss wrongfully inflicted to property (damnum iniuria datum), whereas the Delicts of Furtum, Rapina and Iniuria were designed to deal with theft, robbery and attacks on personal dignity respectively. In order to be liable under the Lex Aquilia the defendant had to be found guilty of intent and culpable conduct (iniuria datum), and thus to have „wrongfully inflicted" loss (datum) on the plaintiff. 6 The early Romans maintained strict standards that governed personal behavior and this is reflected in the legal reasoning implicit in the lex. -
The Genius of Roman Law from a Law and Economics Perspective
THE GENIUS OF ROMAN LAW FROM A LAW AND ECONOMICS PERSPECTIVE By Juan Javier del Granado 1. What makes Roman law so admirable? 2. Asymmetric information and numerus clausus in Roman private law 2.1 Roman law of property 2.1.1 Clearly defined private domains 2.1.2 Private management of resources 2.2 Roman law of obligations 2.2.1 Private choices to co-operate 2.2.2 Private choices to co-operate without stipulating all eventualities 2.2.3 Private co-operation within extra-contractual relationships 2.2.4 Private co-operation between strangers 2.3 Roman law of commerce and finance 3. Private self-help in Roman law procedure 4. Roman legal scholarship in the restatement of civil law along the lines of law and economics 1. What makes Roman law so admirable? Law and economics aids us in understanding why Roman law is still worthy of admiration and emulation, what constitutes the “genius” of Roman law. For purposes of this paper, “Roman law” means the legal system of the Roman classical period, from about 300 B.C. to about 300 A.D. I will not attempt the tiresome job of being or trying to be a legal historian in this paper. In the manner of German pandect science, let us stipulate that I may arbitrarily choose certain parts of Roman law as being especially noteworthy to the design of an ideal private law system. This paper discusses legal scholarship from the ius commune. It will also discuss a few Greek philosophical ideas which I believe are important in the Roman legal system. -
VERBA OMNIA Through Chapter XXXVII
VERBA OMNIA through Chapter XXXVII Modus Operāndī: Words in bold are verba discenda. Roman numerals in parentheses indicate the chapter in which this word became a verbum discendum. Definitions of verba discenda aim for comprehensiveness. All other words appear at least once in DISCE LATĪNAM. The definitions of these words focus on the meanings in the context of the narrative. -A- ā, ab, abs + abl. from, away from; by (with persons) (V) abdo, abdere, abdidī, abditum hide, conceal (XIX) abeō, abīre, abivī / abiī, abitum go away (VII) abhinc from here; ago abitus, -ūs m. departure abluō, abluere, albuī, abūtum wash, cleanse absum, abesse, āfuī be absent (XIX) ac = atque and, and also, and besides ac and, and besides (XXXIII) academia, -ae f. the academy accendō, accendere, accendī, accensum light, burn accendō, accendere, accendī, accēnsum light, burn accidō, accidere, accidī, happen; fall at, near (XXIX) accipiō, accipere, accēpit accept, receive (XVI) accumbō, accumbere, accubuī, accubitum (+ dat.) recline at table accurrō, accurrere, accurrī / accucurrī, accursum run, hasten to acer, acris, acre sharp acervus, -ī m. heap acētum, -ī n. vinegar Acrisius, -iī m., Acrisius (Perseus’ grandfather) Actiacus, -a, -um of Actium āctor, actōris m. actor ad + acc. to, toward, for (II) and (V) ad dextram at the right ad lūnam by moonlight ad sinistram to the left adamō (1) fall in love, love passionately addīcō, addīcere, addīxī, addictum consecrate addō, addere, addidī, additum add, give addō, addere, addidī, additum add, give addūcō, addūcere, addūxī, adductum bring in, lead to adeō, adīre, adivī / adiī, aditum go to (VII) adhūc to this point, still, yet (XXX) adiungō, adiungere, adiūnxī, adiūnctum join to, add to adiūtor, -ōris m. -
“At the Sight of the City Utterly Perishing Amidst the Flames Scipio Burst Into
Aurelii are one of the three major Human subgroups within western Eramus, and the founders of the mighty (some say “Eternal”) “At the sight of the city utterly perishing Aurelian Empire. They are a sturdy, amidst the flames Scipio burst into tears, conservative group, prone to religious fervor and stood long reflecting on the inevitable and philosophical revelry in equal measure. change which awaits cities, nations, and Adding to this a taste for conquest, and is it dynasties, one and all, as it does every one any wonder the Aurelii spread their of us men. This, he thought, had befallen influence, like a mighty eagle spreading its Ilium, once a powerful city, and the once wings, across the known world? mighty empires of the Assyrians, Medes, Persians, and that of Macedonia lately so splendid. And unintentionally or purposely he quoted---the words perhaps escaping him Aurelii stand a head shorter than most unconsciously--- other humans, but their tightly packed "The day shall be when holy Troy shall forms hold enough muscle for a man twice fall their height. Their physical endurance is And Priam, lord of spears, and Priam's legendary amongst human and elf alike. folk." Only the Brutum are said to be hardier, And on my asking him boldly (for I had and even then most would place money on been his tutor) what he meant by these the immovable Aurelian. words, he did not name Rome distinctly, but Skin color among the Aurelii is quite was evidently fearing for her, from this sight fluid, running from pale to various shades of the mutability of human affairs. -
Writing and Conquest in Caesar's Gaul Author(S): Josiah Osgood Source: Classical Antiquity , Vol
The Pen and the Sword: Writing and Conquest in Caesar's Gaul Author(s): Josiah Osgood Source: Classical Antiquity , Vol. 28, No. 2 (October 2009), pp. 328-358 Published by: University of California Press Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/ca.2009.28.2.328 JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms University of California Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Classical Antiquity This content downloaded from 128.95.104.109 on Thu, 14 Jan 2021 18:26:48 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms JOSIAH OSGOOD The Pen and the Sword: Writing and Conquest in Caesar’s Gaul Julius Caesar was remembered in later times for the unprecedented scale of his military activity. He was also remembered for writing copiously while on campaign. Focusing on the period of Rome’s war with Gaul (58–50 bce), this paper argues that the two activities were interrelated: writing helped to facilitate the Roman conquest of the Gallic peoples. It allowed Caesar to send messages within his own theater of operations, sometimes with distinctive advantages; it helped him stay in touch with Rome, from where he obtained ever more resources; and it helped him, in his Gallic War above all, to turn the story of his scattered campaigns into a coherent narrative of the subjection of a vast territory henceforward to be called “Gaul.” The place of epistolography in late Republican politics receives new analysis in the paper, with detailed discussion of the evidence of Cicero. -
Calendar of Roman Events
Introduction Steve Worboys and I began this calendar in 1980 or 1981 when we discovered that the exact dates of many events survive from Roman antiquity, the most famous being the ides of March murder of Caesar. Flipping through a few books on Roman history revealed a handful of dates, and we believed that to fill every day of the year would certainly be impossible. From 1981 until 1989 I kept the calendar, adding dates as I ran across them. In 1989 I typed the list into the computer and we began again to plunder books and journals for dates, this time recording sources. Since then I have worked and reworked the Calendar, revising old entries and adding many, many more. The Roman Calendar The calendar was reformed twice, once by Caesar in 46 BC and later by Augustus in 8 BC. Each of these reforms is described in A. K. Michels’ book The Calendar of the Roman Republic. In an ordinary pre-Julian year, the number of days in each month was as follows: 29 January 31 May 29 September 28 February 29 June 31 October 31 March 31 Quintilis (July) 29 November 29 April 29 Sextilis (August) 29 December. The Romans did not number the days of the months consecutively. They reckoned backwards from three fixed points: The kalends, the nones, and the ides. The kalends is the first day of the month. For months with 31 days the nones fall on the 7th and the ides the 15th. For other months the nones fall on the 5th and the ides on the 13th. -
Pre-Copy Edited Version of Chapter. Please Cite from the Final Version Contained In
Pre-Copy Edited version of chapter. Please cite from the final version contained in Handler, Mares and Williams, Landmark Cases in Criminal Law (2017, Hart) The Carrier’s Case (1473) Ian Williams The Carrier’s Case1 remains an authority in certain parts of the common law world, the oldest authority cited in a recent work on Anglo-American theft law.2 James Fitzjames Stephen described the case as ‘the most curious case relating to theft’ in medieval law.3 It remains, in the words of one writer, an ‘enigma’, indeed the first enigma, in the common law of larceny.4 The medieval law of larceny was a criminal law counterpart to trespass to goods. Like its private law counterpart, it required a trespassory taking of possession of a chattel. For the taking to be trespassory, it had to be performed with force and My thanks to John Baker, Guido Rossi and David Seipp for advice and assistance in the research for this paper. The year is taken as beginning in January. 1 The Carrier’s Case; Anon v Sheriff of London (1473) YB Pasch 13 Edw IV, fo 9, pl 5; SS vol 64, 30-34. Citations will be taken from the Selden Society report, based on British Library Additional MS 37493, a manuscript associated with the early-sixteenth century lawyer Robert Chaloner. This report contains more detail than the vulgate Yearbook report. 2 S Green, Thirteen Ways to Steal a Bicycle: theft law in the information age (Cambridge MA, Harvard University Press, 2012) 11. New South Wales, for example, retains the common law of larceny, while several states in the USA have not adopted the Model Penal Code and retain a law of larceny which is at least partly common law. -
Latin II – 2017-2018 Summer Review Packet
Tran - 1 Latin II – 2017-2018 Summer Review Packet Salvēte, discipulī optimī! This packet summarizes the grammar, vocabulary, and classical civilization topics mastered in Latin I. You are NOT required to complete anything at this time, but keep in mind that there will be brief review unit and a review test to begin our school year in September. If you would like to stay on top of your vocabulary, grammar, or classical civilization knowledge, you can use this packet to review at your leisure. Multās gratiās vobis agō et habēte aestatem optimam (have a wonderful summer!) ****************************************************************************************** 1. Stage 0-11 Vocabulary 2. Casus et Usus a. Nominativus (subjects and predicates) b. Genitivus (possession – of, ’s/ s’) c. Dativus (indirect objects – to/for, with special verbs – credō, faveō, placeō) d. Accusativus (direct objects – what is being verbed?, place to where, obj. of prepositions) e. Ablativus (accompaniment, manner, means/instrument, obj. of prep., place fr. where, place where) f. Vocativus (direct address – usu. seen with commas) 3. Declensions (including Adjective-Noun Agreement) a. 1st Declension (usu. feminine) - e.g. via, viae (f) b. 2nd Declension (usu. masculine) - e.g. dominus, dominī (m) c. 2nd Declension (neuter) - e.g. vīnum, vīnī (n) d. 3rd Declension (m/f) - e.g. senex, senis (m) e. 3rd Declension (neuter) - e.g. nōmen, nōminis (n) 4. Verb Forms a. Identifying Conjugations of Verbs i. 1st Conjugation - e.g. amō, amāre, amāvī, amātum ii. 2nd Conjugation - e.g. habeō, habēre, habuī, habitum iii. 3rd Conjugation - e.g. petō, petere, petivī, petitum iv. 3rd –io Conjugation - e.g. capiō, capere, cepī, captum v. -
0 Contents.Qxd
Chronology Chart 1-6 Roman Calendar Explanation At the time of Christ, the Roman calendar and dating system were used throughout the Roman Empire. The calendar derived from the old lunar calendar of the Etruscans, which was designed to keep record of times for religious observances and festivals, and which retained as principal days of the month the kalends (first), nones (fifth or seventh), and ides (thirteenth or fifteenth), based originally on the phases of the moon. The months had been restructured by the Romans into a solar calendar of twelve months with several intercalary days at the end of February. March was the first Roman month, making September the seventh, October the eighth, etc. These names derive from the Latin words for seven (septem), eight (octo), and so on. The Roman calendar was reformed by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C., which version operated in New Testament times and still forms the basis of our own modern calendar today. Roman years were numbered ab urbe condita, “from the founding of the city.” The year we call 753 B.C. was the Roman year 1, the year that Rome is believed to have been established. References John F. Hall, “March Gods and the Etruscan New Year,” in By Study and Also By Faith (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1990), 1:643–58. A. K. Michels, The Calendar of the Roman Republic (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1967). Charting the New Testament, © 2002 Welch, Hall, FARMS Roman Calendar Kalendae First day of the month Named for Mars, Martius the god of the New Year Named for Aprilia, Aprilis Idus The fifteenth of March, a goddess of spring May, July, and October, but the thirteenth of all Named for Maia, other months. -
Precincts of Venus: Towards a Prehistory of Ovidian Genre Joseph Farrell University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]
University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Departmental Papers (Classical Studies) Classical Studies at Penn 2005 Precincts of Venus: Towards a Prehistory of Ovidian Genre Joseph Farrell University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers Part of the Classics Commons Recommended Citation Farrell, J. (2005). Precincts of Venus: Towards a Prehistory of Ovidian Genre. Hermathena, 177/178 27-69. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers/158 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. http://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers/158 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Precincts of Venus: Towards a Prehistory of Ovidian Genre Disciplines Arts and Humanities | Classics This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers/158 Precincts of Venus: towards a prehistory of Ovidian genre by Joseph Farrell 1. Introduction One of the characteristically Ovidian themes in contemporary Latin studies is the plasticity of genre and the inventiveness with which Roman poets address generic concerns. Coming to terms with this problem has greatly advanced recent work on Latin poetry. In particular, our heightened ability to appreciate the shimmering ambiguity of Ovidian genre has led to a much more productive model for practising the hermeneutics of indeterminacy than had been current in Latin studies. Another recent gain has been an increased understanding of Ovidian genre in its historical