1216-2574 / USD 20.00 ACTA JURIDICA HUNGARICA © 2008 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 49, Nos 2, pp. 203–220 (2008) DOI: 10.1556/AJur.49.2008.2.3 TAMÁS NÓTÁRI ∗ Verba Carminis – On a Cardinal Point of Archaic Roman Law Abstract. Beginning with the well-known fact that one lost a lawsuit if he made even a single verbal mistake in his speech during the process of the legis actio (Gai. inst. 4, 11. 30), we have to examine through some examples the power of verbality in ius sacrum. (I.) We study the development of the concept of fatum (II.), a narration of Plinius maior concerning the dedicatio of the templum of Ops Opifera (III.), another narration based on a source of Plinius related to a special interpretation of prodigium (IV.), as well as parallels that can be discovered between “fruges excantare” and the ceremony of the evocatio (V.). From these one could gain a picture of connection between Roman religion and jurisprudence of the Archaic Age and the spoken word. Keywords: legis actio sacramento, ius sacrum, dedicatio, evocatio, procuraio prodigii I. The description of the ritual of legis actio sacramento im rem is provided by Gaius. 1 This is the locus that should be brought into harmony with the explanation of the meaning of manum conserere given by Gellius, and with the ∗ Associate Professor, Reformed University “Károli Gáspár”, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Department of Roman Law, H-1042 Budapest, Viola u 2–4. E-mail: tamasnotari@yahoo.de 1 Gaius, Institutiones 4, 16. Si in rem agebatur, mobilia quidem et moventia, quae modo in ius afferri adducive possent, in iure vindicabantur ad hunc modum: qui vindicabat, festucam tenebat; deinde ipsam rem apprehendebat, velut hominem, et ita dicebat: HUNC EGO HOMINEM EX IURE QUIRITIUM MEUM ESSE AIO SECUNDUM SUAM CAUSAM; SICUT DIXI, ECCE TIBI, VINDICTAM IMPOSUI, et simul homini festucam imponebat, adversarius eadem similiter dicebat: MITTITE AMBO HOMINEM. Illi mittebant. qui prior vindicaverat sic dicebat: POSTULO, ANNE DICAS, QUA EX CAUSA VINDICAVERIS? ille respondebat: IUS FECI, SICUT VINDICTAM IMPOSUI. Deinde qui prior vindicaverat, dicebat: QUANDO TU INIURIA VINDICAVISTI D AERIS SACRAMENTO TE PROVOCO; adversarius quoque dicebat similiter: ET EGO TE; aut si res infra mille asses erat, scilicet L asses sacramentum nominabant. deinde eadem sequebantur, quae cum in personam ageretur. Postea praetor secundum alterum eorum vindicias dicebat, id est interim aliquem possessorem constituebat, eumque iubebat praedes adversario dare litis et vindiciarum, id est rei et fructuum; alios autem praedes ipse praetor