Roman Law Terms with Letters G

Gaius. One of the most renowned Roman jurists of the middle of the second century after Christ (born under Hadrian). His origin, full name and personal whereabouts are unknown. For his standard work, the Institutes, see institutiones gai.

Kubler, RE 7; Orestano, NDI 6; Berger, OCD; F. Kniep, Der Rechtsgelehrte Gaius und die Ediktskommentare, 1910; H. Kroll, Zur Gaiusfrage 1917; J. B. Nordeblad, Gaiusstudien, Lund, 1932; P. Meylan, Le jurisconsulte Gaius, 1923; Buckland, Gaius and the liber singularis regu- larum, LQR 40 (1924) ; C. Appleton, RHD 8 (1929) 197; Kocourek, ACDR Rome 2 (1935) 495 (Bibl.); Siber, ibid. 1 (1934) 424; Kreller, ZSS 55 (1935); Bizoukides, Gaius, App. to vol. 2 (1939, Bibl.) ; E. Weiss, Fschr Schulz 2 (1951) 79.

Gaius Cassius Longimus. See cassius.

Gallus. See aelius gallus, aquilius gallus.

Gemmae. Precious stones, gems. When mounted in gold or silver, included in a ring, or used as an ornaĀ­ment of vases they became part of the principal thing (cedere) and consequently the ownership of its owner, notwithstanding their great value. The same prinĀ­ciple applies to pearls (margaritae).

Generalis (generaliter). General (generally). These terms frequently used by Justinian and his compilers served to formulate general rules, definitions, and to generalize (ā€œgeneraliter sancimusā€) earlier legal rules which had been applicable only to specific legal situaĀ­tions. The terms are therefore often suspect, but cannot be excluded from the classical juristic lanĀ­guage.ā€”See IUDICIA GENERALIA, HYPOTHECA GENEĀ­RALIS.

Guarneri-Citati, Indice² (1923) 41; idem, Fschr Kos choĀ­ker 1 (1939) 136.

Genius. The tutelary deity of a person. The genius of a pater familias was the deity of, and worshipped by, the whole family. Oaths were taken by invoking a genius, primarily that of the emperor (per genium principis). Slaves took an oath per genium domini. ā€”See IUSIURANDUM.

Otto, RE 7, 1161; Steinwenter, RE 10, 1255; Wenger, ZSS 23 (1902) 251; L. Berlinger, Beitrdge zur inoffiziellen Titulatur der rom. Kaiser, 1935, 10.

Gens. A major group (clan) of several families really or supposedly descending from a common ancestor. Originally a large plot of land was possibly assigned to the gens as a whole where its members lived toĀ­gether and formed a kind of a community. A survivĀ­ing feature of this ancient organization is the right of succession on intestacy of the members of a gens (gentiles) in default of agnatic relatives. This prinĀ­ciple, mentioned in the Twelve Tables, remained in force through the Republic and perhaps in the early Principate. The members of the gens, gentiles, were also entitled to guardianship if a member had neither a testamentary nor an agnatic tutor. An external sign pointing to the fact that the gentiles belonged to the same social unit was the common name (nomen gentilicium) ; to this must be added their common worship of a divinity as a special protector of the gens and common cult ceremonies (sacra gentilicia).

Kiibler, RE 7; Siber, RE 21, 118; Humbert, DS 2; Ores- tano, NDI 6; De Ruggiero, DE 3; Treves, OCD; G. W. Botsford, Political Science Quarterly 22 (1907) 665; M. Radin, ClasPhilol 1914, 235; V. Arangio-Ruiz, Le genti e la città, 1914; G. I. Luzzatto, Per una ipotesi sulle origini dell"obbligazione rom., 1934, 27 ; L. Zancan, La teoria gentilizia, AVen 95 (1935/6) ; C. Castello, St sul diritto familiare e gentilizio rom., 1942; Coli, SDHI 17 (1951) 73.

Gentiles. Persons belonging to the same gens and using the same name, nomen gentilicium.ā€”See gens (Bibl.).

De Ruggiero, DE 3; Lenel, ZSS 37 (1917) 128. Gentilicium nomen. See nomen gentilicium. Genus. A kind, sort, type. The term has manifold applications. It refers to actions (genus actionis, iudicii), to legal institutions (contracts, possessions = genera possessionum) ; the most important use is in the field of things: genus as opposed to species. Whereas the latter word refers to a specific, indiĀ­vidual object, the other indicates fungibles, in which one thing can be replaced by another of the same quality since economically they exercise the same function (quae in genere junctionem recipiunt), such as corn, oil, wine, money. See res quae fondere numero mensurave constant. In obligatory relaĀ­tions the distinction genus-species becomes imporĀ­tant when the thing due perished. In the case of a species the fulfillment of the obligation is impossible and the problem as to who is responsible becomes actual; in the case of genus the extinction of the obligation does not enter into consideration since things in genere can be replaced by others of the same quality and quantity unless they were specified by exact indications, e.g., wine which the debtor has in his cave.ā€”Genus is sometimes synonymous to gens.ā€”See LEGATUM GENERIS.

Scarpello, NDI 12, 2 (s.v. species) ; E. Albertario, St 3 (1936) 375; Beretta, Qualitas e bonitas nelle obbligazioni di genere, SDHI 9 (1943) ; Savagnone, La categoria delle res fungibiles, BIDR 55-56 (1952) 18.

Geometra. Syn. agrimensor.ā€”See studia liberalia. Gerere., To administer (a patrimony), to manage his own or anotherā€™s affairs (a business, curam, tutelam, negotia aliena), to exercise (a profession, a magisĀ­tracy), to conclude a legal transaction (negotium).ā€” See negotiorum gestio.

Gerere (gestio) pro herede. See pro herede gestio.

Gerere se. To conduct oneself; gerere se pro... ā€” to impersonate, to assume falsely the character of another person, in particular of an official, or of a free person when one is a slave, or of a soldier withĀ­out being one, etc., in order to obtain certain priviĀ­leges illicitly.ā€”See FALSUM.

Germani (fratres). Brothers born of the same parents. Similarly sorores germanae ā€” sisters born of the same parents. See CONSANGUINEI, FRATER, UTERINI.

Gesta. See ACTA, IUS GESTORUM.

Gestio. See GERERE, NEGOTIORUM GESTIO.

Gestio pro herede. See pro herede gestio.

Gestor. See negotiorum gestio.

Gestus. See gerere. The term is primarily applied to the management of the wardā€™s affairs by a tutor or curator. Syn. gestio.

Gladiatores. Gladiators. Condemnation to gladiatoĀ­rial fights (ludi gladiatorii) was tantamount to the death penalty since the gladiatores generally lost their life in the fights. It happened, however, sometimes that the emperor abolished the death sentence by an act of mercy, particularly when a gladiator was sucĀ­cessful in a fight.ā€”C. 11.49.ā€”See ludi gladiatorii. Schneider, RE Suppl. 3; Lafaye, DS 2; Wright, OCD;

L. Robert, Les gladiateurs dans le monde grec, 1940.

Gladius. A sword. It is the most characteristic symbol of the emperorā€™s highest military command.ā€”DamĀ­nare ad gladium = to condemn a culprit to the death penalty by decapitation with a sword.ā€”See ius glaĀ­dii, animadversio.

Glans. An acorn. See interdictum de glande leĀ­genda. For the application of this interdict the term was extended to all kinds of tree-fruits.

Gleba. Earth, soil. For glebae adscripts, see adscripĀ­ts i us.ā€”Gleba was a land tax in gold imposed in the later Empire on senators (gleba senatoria, glebaĀ­tio). Later it was levied even upon senators who were not landowners.ā€”C. 12, 2.

Seeck, RE 4 {s.v. collatio glebalis) ; Thibault, Rev. generate du droit 24 (1900) 36.

Glebatio. See gleba.

Gloriosissimus. Under Justinian a title of the highest officers of the empire.

Kqch, Byzantinische Beamtentitel, 1903, 58.

Glossa ordinaria. See accursius.

Glossae. For glosses in juristic writings, called also (not quite properly) pre-Justinian interpolations, see DIGESTA.

Glossatores. Interpreters of Justinianā€™s codification from the eleventh century until the middle of the thirteenth century. They were scholars and teachers in the school of Bologna under irnerius (+ 1125) and his pupils. The name glossatores derives from the form of their exegetic remarks to texts, phrases or single words of Justinianā€™s Corpus, written as marginal or interlineary glosses, in the order of JusĀ­tinianā€™s compilation. See accursius. Systematic presentations in the form of summaries (summae) were rare. See azo. Later commentators, from the middle of the fourteenth century, who worked in a somewhat different way, are termed by the collective denomination ā€œpostglossators.ā€ These post-Accur-

sian commentators started from the glossa ordinaria of Accursius. They wrote commentaries and more extensive discussions on legal doctrines.ā€”See bal- DUS, BARTOLUS.

Anon., NDI 6; La Mantia, RISG 8 (1889) 3; F. v. Savigny, Geschichte des rƶm. Rechts im Mittelalter, 7 vol., 1850-1851; E. Seckel, Distinctiones glossatorum, 1911; P. Vinogradoff, R. Law in Medieval Europe, 2nd ed. by F. De Zulueta, 1939 (an Italian translation by Riccp- bono, Diritto Rom. nellā€™Europa medievale, 1950) ; Genzmer, AC DR Bologna 1 (1934); E.

Gnaeus Flavius. See ius flavianum.

Gnomon idiologi. A collection of imperial mandates (liber mandatorum) of Augustus and some of his successors. The text, written about the middle of the second century (probably under Antoninus Pius), is preserved in a papyrus. It contains instructions conĀ­cerned with the administration of the private patriĀ­mony of the emperor (res privata Caesaris = idios logos). The provisions are primarily of fiscal charĀ­acter and deal with various matters, such as inheriĀ­tances that fall to the fisc, taxes, fines, the capacity to make a testament, marriage between persons of different nationality. A few decisions of the praefects of Egypt are also added.

Editions: Berliner Griechische Urkunden 5, 1.2 (no. 1210) by Schubart (1919) and commented on by Uxkull- Gyllenband (1934) ; P. M. Meyer, Juristische Papyri no. 93 (1920); Riccobono, FIR P (1941) no. 99 (Bibl.).ā€” LeneLPartsch, SbHeid 1920, 1; Seckel-P. M. Meyer, SbBerl 1928, 424; T. Reinach, NRHD 1919, 583; 1920, 1; Besnier, RIDA 2 (ā€”Mel De Visscher 1, 1949) 93; S. Riccobono, Jr., Il g. dellā€™idios logos, 1950 (Bibl.).

Gradatim. Gradually. In the law of successions the term refers to the admission of successors by degrees (see gradus) proceeding from a nearer degree, if there are not heirs (heredes or bonorum possessores), toā€™ the next degree, and so on.

Gradus (cognationis). Degrees of relationship. Their calculation is based upon the principle that ā€œeach procreation adds one degreeā€ (Inst. 3.6.7, hence the formula: tot gradus quot generationes). Inferior gradus is applied to relatives in descendant line. Ant. superior gradus. See de gradibus cognationum, successio graduum. In the official hierarchy gradus indicates the rank of a public (civil or military) officer.ā€”Inst. 3.6; D. 38.10.

Humbert, DS 3; Guarino, Pauli de gradibus cognationum e la compilazione del D. 38.10, SDH I 10 (1944) 267.

Granius Flaccus. See papirius.

Funaioli, RE 7, 1820.

Grassator. See latro.

Kleinfeller, RE 7, 1829; Dull, RE Suppl. 7, 1239.

Gratia. An act of grace by the emperor.ā€”See indul- GENTIA, DIVORTIUM BONA GRATIA.

Gratis. Gratuitously, given without any recompense. ā€”See GRATUITUS.

Gratuitus. Benefits conceded without any compensaĀ­tion are considered to be a donation and are subject to the same limitations as gifts. See donatio. Some contracts contain the element of gratuity (commoĀ­datum, depositum, precarium). A loan (mutuum) is gratuitous if interest is not paid (gratuita pecunia).

Gratulatio. See abolitio.

Gravare. (In criminal matters) to incriminate, to charge with a crime as an accuser or witness, to cast suspicion upon another.

Gravis. Severe. The term is used of penalties inĀ­flicted on condemned criminals. When under specific circumstances a crime deserves a more severe punishĀ­ment the sources speak of gravior poena (or sen- tentia) without indicating precisely how the punishĀ­ment is to be more severe. The choice is left to the judge. Ant. levior poena.

Gravis. With regard to contractual obligations, e.g., aes alienum grave a burdensome, heavy debt. Such a debt occurs when the debtor has to pay a penalty if he failed to fulfill his obligation at the fixed date. Usurae graves = high interest.

Gravitas. The dignity of a high office. The imperial chancery used this title in rescripts (letters) adĀ­dressed by the emperor to official of a high rank.

Graviter loqui. To stutter. Stuttering was not conĀ­sidered a disease. Consequently the sale of a slave who stuttered could not be annulled for this reason. Gregarii milites. Soldiers of the lowest rank, privates. Gregatim. In herds, in flocks. Animals living gregaĀ­tim = greges (see grex), such as equitium ( = a stud of horses), armentum ( = plough-oxen). Such flocks are treated legally as units (corpus ex distantibus).ā€” See CORPUS EX COHAERENTIBUS.

Gregorianus. See codex gregorianus.

Grex. A herd. It is a collective thing (corpus ex distantibus) which maintains its identity in spite of changes in the individual animals of which it is composed. A herd as a whole may be the object of a claim (vindicatio gregis) embracing all animals without regard to changes which therein or to single animals which do not happen to belong to the deĀ­fendant. There is, however, no usucapio of a whole grex but only of single animals. It was held that at least ten sheep made a herd.ā€”See gregatim.

Pampaloni, RISG 10 (1890) 268; Bossowski, SV Riccobono 3 (1936) 357; O. Pallucchini, Lā€™usufrutto del grcggc, 1940.

Gromatici. Land-surveyors, writers on land-surveyĀ­ing.ā€”See AGRIMENSORES.

Fordyce and Brink, OCD.

Gubernare (gubernatio). To govern, to administer. The term belongs to the language of imperial conĀ­stitutions.

Gubernator navis. A steersman of a ship. He is liable for sinking anotherā€™s ship through his fault and can be sued for damages under the actio legis Aquiliae.