calumnia

călumnĭa (old form kălumnĭa; v. the letter K), ae, f. [perh. for calvomnia, from calvor; cf. incīlo], trickery, artifice, chicanery, cunning device.

• I Lit.
• • A In gen.: per obtrectatores Lentuli calumniā extracta res est, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 2, 3: (Lucullus) inimicorum calumniā triennio tardius quam debuerat triumphavit, id. Ac. 2 (Luc.), 1, 3: inpediti ne triumpharent calumniā paucorum, quibus omnia honesta atque inhonesta vendere mos erat, Sall. C. 30, 4: Metellus calumniā dicendi tempus exemit, Cic. Att. 4, 3, 3: cum omni morā, ludificatione, calumniā senatūs auctoritas impediretur, id. Sest. 35, 75.—Plur.: res ab adversariis nostris extracta est variis calumniis, Cic. Fam. 1, 4, 1.—
  • B In partic.
  • • 1 A pretence, evasion, subterfuge: juris judicium cum erit et aequitatis, cave in istā tam frigidā, tam jejunā calumniā delitescas, Cic. Caecin. 21, 61: senatus religionis calumniam non religione, sed malevolentiā ... comprobat, id. Fam. 1, 1, 1: Carneades ... itaque premebat alio modo nec ullam adhibebat calumniam, id. Fat. 14, 31: calumniam stultitiamque ejus obtrivit ac contudit, id. Caecin. 7, 18: illud in primis, ne qua calumnia, ne qua fraus, ne quis dolus adhibeatur, id. Dom. 14, 36: quae major calumnia est, quam venire imberbum adulescentulum... dicere se filium senatorem sibi velle adoptare? id. ib. 14, 37.—
    • 2 In discourse, etc., a misrepresentation, false statement, fallacy, cavil (cf.: cavillatio, perfugium): haec cum uberius disputantur et fusius, facilius effugiunt Academicorum calumniam, Cic. Ac. 2 (Luc.), 7, 20: (Carneades) saepe optimas causas ingenii calumniā ludificari solet, id. Rep. 3, 5, 9: nec Arcesilae calumnia conferenda est cum Democriti verecundiā, id. Ac. 2 (Luc.), 5, 14: si in minimis rebus pertinacia reprehenditur, calumnia etiam coërcetur, id. ib. 2, 20, 65: altera est calumnia, nullam artem falsis adsentiri opinionibus, Quint. 2, 17, 18: si quis tamen... ad necessaria aliquid melius adjecerit, non erit hac calumniā reprendendus, id. 12, 10, 43.—
    • 3 A false accusation, malicious charge, esp. a false or malicious information, or action at law, a perversion of justice ( = συκοφαντία): jam de deorum inmortalium templis spoliatis qualem calumniam ad pontifices adtulerit? false report, Liv. 39, 4, 11: Scythae ... cum confecto jam bello supervenissent, et calumniā tardius lati auxilii, mercede fraudarentur, an unjust charge, Just. 42, 1, 2: quamquam illa fuit ad calumniam singulari consilio reperta ratio... Quae res cum ad pactiones iniquissimas magnam vim habuit, tum vero ad calumnias in quas omnes inciderent, quos vellent Apronius, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 15, § 38: causam calumniae reperire, id. ib. 2, 2, 8, § 21: (Heraclius), a quo HS. C. milia per calumniam malitiamque petita sunt, id. ib. 2, 2, 27, § 66: mirari improbitatem calumniae, id. ib. 2, 2, 15, § 37: exsistunt etiam saepe injuriae calumniā quādam et nimis callidā juris interpretatione, id. Off. 1, 10, 33: iste amplam occasionem calumniae nactus, id. Verr. 2, 2, 25, § 61: quem iste in decumis, in rebus capitalibus, in omni calumniā praecursorem habere solebat et emissarium, id. ib. 2, 5, 41, § 108; 2, 2, 9, § 25: ad rapinas convertit animum, vario et exquisitissimo calumniarum et auctionum et vectigalium genere, Suet. Calig. 38 init.; cf. the context: calumniā litium alienos fundos petere, Cic. Mil. 27, 74: adeo illis odium Romanorum incussit rapacitas proconsulum, sectio publicanorum, calumniae litium, Just. 38, 7, 8: calumniarum metum inicere alicui, Suet. Caes. 20: principes confiscatos ob tam leve ac tam inpudens calumniarum genus, ut, etc., id. Tib. 49: calumniis rapinisque intendit animum, id. Ner. 32: creditorum turbam... nonnisi terrore calumniarum amovit, id. Vit. 7: fiscales calumnias magna calumniantium repressit, id. Dom. 9 fin.—Plur.: istae calumniae, Ap. Apol. 1, p. 273, 9; cf.: calumnia magiae, id. ib. 2, p. 274, 10.—
    • 4 Hence, jurid. t. t., the bringing of an action, whether civil or criminal, in bad faith: actoris calumnia quoque coërcetur, litigiousness on the part of the plaintiff, Just. Inst. 4, 16, 1 Sandars ad loc.; Gai Inst. 4, 174: vetus calumniae actio, a prosecution for blackmail or malicious prosecution, id. ib.: calumniam jurare, to take the oath that the action is brought or defence offered in good faith, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 3: sei juraverit calumniae causā non postulare, Lex Acil. Repetund. 19; Dig. 39, 2, 7; cf.: praeter jusjurandum exigere non calumniae causā infitias ire, Gai Inst. 4, 172: jusjurandum exigere non calumniae causā agere, id. ib. 4, 176.—Hence: nec satis habere bello vicisse Hannibalem, nisi velut accusatores calumniam in eum jurarent ac nomen deferrent, Liv. 33, 37, 5 Weissenb. ad loc; so, de calumniā jurare, Dig. 39, 2, 13, § 3: jusjurandum de calumniā, Gai Inst. 4, 179; Dig. 12, 3, 34 al.: et quidem calumniae judicium adversus omnes actiones locum habet, a conviction in a cross-action for malicious prosecution, Gai Inst. 4, 175: turpissimam personam calumniae honestae civitati inponere, to fasten the vile character of a malicious prosecutor upon, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 17, § 43: sine ignominiā calumniae accusationem relinquere non posse, id. Clu. 31, 86.— The person convicted of this charge was branded on the forehead with the letter K; v. calumniator.—
• II Transf., a conviction for malicious prosecution ( = calumniae judicium, v. I. A. 4. supra): hic illo privato judicio, mihi credite, calumniam non effugiet, Cic. Clu. 59, 163: scito C. Sempronium Rufum, mel ac delicias tuas, calumniam maximo plausu tulisse, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 1: accusare alienae dominationis scelerisque socius propter calumniae metum non est ausus, Cic. Dom. 19, 49: perinde poenā teneri ac si publico judicio calumniae condemnatus, Tac. A. 14, 41: calumniam fictis eludere jocis, Phaedr. 3, prol. 37.—
• III Trop.
• • A Of abstr. things: in hac igitur calumniā timoris et caecae suspitionis tormento, cum plurima ad alieni sensūs conjecturam, non ad suum judicium scribantur, i. e. when the writer’s mind is made the fool of his fears, Caecil. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 4. —
  • B Contra se, a mistaken severity towards one’s self: inveni qui Ciceroni crederent, eum (Calvum) nimiā contra se calumniā verum sanguinem perdidisse, Quint. 10, 1, 115 (referring to Cic. Brut. 82, 283: nimium inquirens in se atque ipse sese observans, metuensque ne vitiosum colligeret, etiam verum sanguinem deperdebat).

calumnia, ae, f. (v. altlat. calvor, verwandt mit carpo), jedes schikanierende, ränkevolle, mit Lug u. Trug umgehende, das wahre Sachverhältnis beeinträchtigende Verfahren, Kniffe und Ränke, Lug u. Trug, Schurkerei, Prellerei, Verdrehung, ränkevolle Deutelung od. Auslegung, böswillige Kritik, Verleumdung, Fälschung (Ggstz. veritas, Wahrhaftigkeit, u. fides, Aufrichtigkeit, Gewissenhaftigkeit), a) im allg., in Rechtsangelegenheiten, calumniā paucorum, Sall.: inimicorum calumniā, Cic.: calumniā aliquā competitoris, Augustin.: religionis calumniā, der trügerische Vorwand, Cic.: oppressus calumniā, Aur. Vict.: res per calumnias creditae, verleumderisches Gerede, Arnob.: provincias calumniis agitare (v. den Prokuratoren), Aur. Vict.: calumniā dicendi tempus eximere, Cic.: variis calumniis rem extrahere, Cic.: calumniam coërcere (gesetzlich ahnden), Cic.: calumniam et stultitiam obterere ac contundere, Cic.: aliquam calumniam, fraudem, dolum adhibere, Cic.: ne in calumniam cadam, Quint. – bei philosoph. Streitfragen, Arcesilae calumnia, Cic.: nullam calumniam adhibere, Cic. – u. gegen sich selbst, in hac calumnia timoris, von (vorgespiegelter) Furcht erzeugten Selbstpeinigung, Ängstigung seiner selbst, Caecin. in Cic. ep. 6, 7, 4: nimia contra se calumnia, allzuängstliche Kritik gegen sich selbst, Quint. 10, 1, 115. – b) insbes., die in falscher Anklage eines Unschuldigen bestehende Schikane, die falsche, trügerische Anklage, der schikanöse Prozeß, sowohl im Zivil- als im Kriminalprozesse, calumniae litium, Iustin.: calumniae fiscales, Suet.: calumniae iudicum, ICt.: publico iudicio calumniae condemnatus, Tac.: calumniā litium alienos fundos petere, Cic.: causam calumniae reperire, Cic.: calumniam iurare (v. Ankläger), schwören, daß man nicht aus Schikane (trügerisch) klagt, den Eid für die Gefährde leisten, absol., Caelius in Cic. ep., od. in alqm (um die Klage gegen ihn aufzunehmen), Liv. – dah. meton., die Verurteilung u. Strafe wegen Schikane (trügerischer Anklage), calumniam privato iudicio non effugere, Cic.: ferre calumniam, für einen Schikaneur (trügerischen Ankläger) erklärt werden, zur Strafe wegen Schikane verurteilt werden, Cael. in Cic. ep.: notatus calumniā, Suet.

calumnia (calumpn-) [CL; cf. calengia] 1 false accusation, slander. b accusation, charge. c challenge, provocation, objection. d challenge (of jurymen). dum de scaevo infamis ~iae improperio latentis pudicitiae praeconium propalatur Aldh. VirgP 44; probatum est accusatores ejus ‥ falsas contra eum machinasse ~ias Bede HE V 19; ~ia, holtihte vel teone Ælf. Gl.; 9‥ ~ia, accusatio falsa, hosp, hearmspræc, holtihte WW; nec mihi ~ie nubila livor obducat Gir. TH II pref..  b si tres ~iae fuerint [AS: gyf man hine tihtlige pryfealdre spæce], assumat vj [diaconos] secum (Inst. Cnuti) GAS 287; solvat illud simpliciter quod petitur per illam ~iam (Cons. Cnuti) Ib. 195; s1098 statim ad judicium rapti judicantur injectam ~iam examine igniti ferri a se propulsare debere Eadmer HN 116; s1097 R. episcopo T. archiepiscopus hanc ~iam fecerat H. Cantor 3; s1238 comes Ricardus ‥ regem aggreditur verbis ‥ comminatoriis, gravem movens adversus regem questionem et ~iam, eo quod ‥ ardua negotia regni perperam tractaverat M. Par. Maj. III 476; post longam disceptationem ~ia sic discussa est P. Verg. VIII 219.  c numquid mala punica ‥ simplo ‥ tegmine contecta contemptibilem naturae ~iam perpeti putantur? Aldh. VirgP 9; Dominus noster factiosam farisaicae temptationis ~iam ‥ confutans explodit [cf. Matth. xxii 30] Ib. 18; s867 illic hiemaverunt et Burhred ‥ cum suis primatibus eis consenserunt manendi sine ~ia Æthelw. IV 2; si [judicium] sine ~ia recipiatur (Leg. Hen. 33. 2a) GAS 564; ‘coccĭnum’ et ‘onychĭnum’ breviamus sine ~ia; igitur reliqua ‥ debent breviari Bacon Tert. 262; fecit quemdam ‥ nomine suo predictum finem calumpniare set ignorat utrum predicta ~ia sit irrotulata vel non State Tri. Ed. I 24.  d per illam solam ~iam omnes illi juratores calumpniati fuerunt et recusati State Tri. Ed. I 30; c1419 licet defendens ‥ fecerit defaltam, nihilominus ‥ habeat ~ias suas versus juratores MGL I 174; quousque xij illorum jurentur ita indifferentes quod versus eos neutra partium habeat aliquam materiam ~ie Fortescue LLA 25. 2 claim, dispute (as to title). a1000 (12c) archiepiscopus ‥ induxit ‥ ~iam proprietatis in omnem distributionem Ælfegi CS 1097; c1040 pæt hundred reliquam partem sine ulla ~ia habeat (IV Edgar Lat.) GAS 213; †1073 [terra] sic restituta, ne jam ulterius ~ie pateat aut cujusquam querimonia ‥ supradictam villam auferat Elmh. Cant. 350 (= Regesta 88); † a1075 ut ‥ libere et absque omni ~ia et inquietudine teneant Regesta p. 121; modo est [hoc manerium] in ~ia DB I 6; 1091 nulli licuit in Normannia pro ~ia terre ‥ aliquam vastationem facere Consuet. Norm. 507; a1123 clamavit quietam ~iam quam habuit versus B. ‥ de una acra terre Cart. Merton 420 (cf. ib. 422: clamaverunt ‥ quietam terram illam de ~ia sua); ubi bonda mansit sine ~ia [relevationis], sint uxor et pueri in eodem sine querela (Leg. Hen. 14. 5) GAS 559; s1116 renuntiavit pontificatui, spondens ‥ se ‥ illum non reclamaturum nec aliquam ~iam inde moturum Fl. Worc. II 69; a1127 super terram Alestani, que est in ~ia inter archiepiscopum ‥ et abbatem Regesta p. 360; a1150 ut burgenses habeant communionem vendendi ‥ et emendi in foro meo libere et absque ~ia et consuetudine (Holyrood) E. Ch. Scot. 153; 1164 si ~ia emerserit inter clericum et laicum ‥ de ullo tenemento (Const. Clar. 9) Gerv. Cant. I 179; 1167 remanent in ~ia de Bettona ‥ lviii li. Pipe 142; 1198 de advocatione ecclesie de B., unde recognitio ‥ remansit pro ~ia canonicorum de K. CurR I 49; c1210 si servi permanserint sine callumpnia per annum et diem ‥ in burgis nostris, ‥ liberi homines efficiuntur (Art. Lond.) GAS 491; 1296 recognovit se esse nativum ‥ abbatis ‥ et dat ‥ ij m. ‥ ut libere possit recedere a libertate ejusdem absque aliqua ~ia nativitatis pro se corporaliter facienda SelPlMan 175; 1313 super hiis que inter nos ‥ ac dictos ‥ juratos ‥ in calumpn[i]a et dubio sic existunt RGasc IV 1025; 1325 talis ~ia non est acceptanda per legem in absencia illius cui ‥ pertinet proprietas CBaron 144; s1345 contra Karolum de Bloys, qui in ducatu Britannie ~iam posuit Ad. Mur. app. 244; 1375 recepto ‥ ab ipso procuratore calompnie juramento, quo asseruit vera esse in sua peticione contenta Reg. Aberbr. II 32.

călumnĭa, (11) æ, f. (du vieux verbe calvor), tromperie, ¶ 1 accusation fausse, calomnieuse [devant les tribunaux], chicane en justice : causam calumniæ reperire Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 21, trouver prétexte (matière) à chicane ; mirantur omnes improbitatem calumniæ Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 37, tout le monde apprend avec étonnement cette chicane malhonnête (cette action intentée malhonnêtement, par mauvaise chicane); calumniam jurare Cæl. d. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 3, jurer quʼon nʼaccuse pas de mauvaise foi, cf. Liv. 33, 47, 5 || condamnation et punition pour accusation fausse : calumniam non effugiet Cic. Clu. 163, il nʼévitera pas le châtiment de son injuste accusation [poursuite] ; calumniam ferre Cæl. d. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 1, encourir la condamnation pour accusation fausse ; accusare propter calumniæ metum non est ausus Cic. Domo 49, il nʼa pas osé intenter lʼaccusation par crainte dʼune condamnation pour chicane ¶ 2 [en gén.] accusation injuste, chicane : in hac calumnia timoris Cæcin. d. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 4, dans ces accusations quʼon se forge contre soi-même par crainte ; de deorum immortalium templis spoliatis in capta urbe calumniam ad pontifices afferre Liv. 39, 4, 11, porter devant les pontifes de vaines chicanes sur le pillage des temples effectué dans une ville prise dʼassaut ; nimiā contra se calumniā Quint. 10, 1, 115, par excès de sévérité envers soi-même (en se chicanant trop) ¶ 3 emploi abusif de la loi, chicane du droit, supercherie, manœuvres, cabale : exsistunt sæpe injuriæ calumnia quadam et nimis callida, sed malitiosa juris interpretatione Cic. Off. 1, 33, il se produit souvent des injustices par une sorte dʼemploi abusif de la loi, par une interprétation trop subtile et même frauduleuse du droit ; calumnia litium Cic. Mil. 74, procès intentés par pure chicane ; senatus religionis calumniam comprobat Cic. Fam. 1, 1, 1, le sénat approuve le prétexte imaginaire dʼun obstacle religieux ; Metellus calumnia dicendi tempus exemit Cic. Att. 4, 3, 3, Métellus, usant par manœuvre du droit de parole, empêcha de rien faire [épuisa la séance]; res ab adversariis nostris extracta est variis calumniis Cic. Fam. 1, 4, 1, nos adversaires firent traîner la discussion par des manœuvres diverses ; Academicorum calumniam effugere Cic. Nat. 2, 20, échapper aux subtilités (aux chicanes) des Académiciens ( Ac. 2, 14 ) ; ne qua calumnia, ne qua fraus, ne quis dolus adhibeatur Cic. Domo 36, à condition de nʼemployer aucune manœuvre, aucune supercherie, aucun subterfuge ; calumniam coercere Cic. Ac. 2, 65, réprimer la chicane.

➳ orth. kal- Gloss. 5, 29, 33 ; 5, 79, 19.

calumnia , ae. f. v. calumnior.
Jurare calumniam 誓告無妄証。

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calumnia ae, f

• trickery, artifice, chicanery, cunning: cum omni calumniā senatūs auctoritas impediretur: triumphare calumniā paucorum, S.: res extracta variis calumniis.—A pretence, evasion, subterfuge: in istā calumniā delitescere: ne qua calumnia adhibeatur.—A misrepresentation, false statement, fallacy, cavil: effugere alicuius calumniam.—A false accusation, malicious charge, false prosecution: de templis spoliatis, L.: causam calumniae reperire: ab alquo per calumniam alqd petere.—A perversion of justice, bad faith in an action at law: personam calumniae civitati inponere, the character of a malicious prosecutor: calumniae accusationem relinquere.—A conviction for malicious prosecution: calumniam effugere: calumniam fictis eludere iocis, Ph.: calumniam in eum iurare, to swear that the prosecution is in good faith, L.

CALUMNIA

CALUM´NIAsignifies generally the taking of legal proceedings, criminal or civil, against another person, when one has good reason for believing that the criminal charge or the civil action has no substantial foundation: calumniosus est qui sciens prudensque per fraudem negotium alicui comparat (Paulus, Sent. Rec. 1.5); and on the part of the defendant in a civil action it also means defending the suit without believing himself to be in the right. In all cases the intention to annoy the other party seems essential to the offence, for calumnia in adfectu est, furti crimen (Gaius, 4.178).

From calumnia in criminal charges persons were deterred by the following provisions:--(1) The accuser had always to take the oath of calumnia, i.e. swear that he believed the charge to be well founded (Fragm. Leg. Servil. 100.8; Cic. ad Fam. 8.8, 3). (2) A lex Remmia of unknown date established certain penalties for calumniatores (Cic. pro Rosc. Am. 19, 55); among them probably being that of having the letter K, the initial of Kalumnia, branded on the forehead (Cic. ib. 20, 57). The provisions of this statute seem to have been superseded by Trajan's enactment that a false accuser should be liable to the punishment which the accused would have suffered if condemned (Plin. Paneg. 35), and he was taken in law to have voluntarily subjected himself to this liability by signing the indictment (Dig. 48, 2, 7, pr.). If the charge had been one of treason, he could be tortured in order to discover the names of his instigators. (3) An accuser might not, as a rule, drop criminal proceedings after their commencement, so as to leave a charge hanging over the head of the accused without the consent of the latter (Dig. 48, 16, 18, 1, 2) and of the court (Paul. Sent. Rec. 5, 17, 1): he had to bind himself with sureties to push the charge to a verdict (Dig. 48, 2; 7, 1); and if he failed to do so, he not only forfeited the sum in which he had bound himself, but was also liable to punishment under the Senatusconsultum Turpillianum, passed in the time of Nero (Tac. Ann. 14.41; Dig. 48, 16; Cod. 9, 45).

There were some few crimes the accusation of which, even without ground, did not expose the accuser to be proceeded against as calumniator; but as a general rule, if he failed in his proof, the injured person might have an inquiry into his conduct and motives. If the person by whom this was conducted found that he had acted merely from error of judgment, he acquitted him in the form non probasti; if he convicted him of evil intention, he declared his sentence in the words calumniatus es, which sentence was followed by the legal punishment described above.

In the time of Gaius (and perhaps throughout the formulary procedure, B.C. 170 to A.D. 294, which he describes) a defendant in a civil action (1) could call on the plaintiff to take the jusjurandum calumniae, i.e. swear that he honestly believed his cause to be a good one (Gaius, 4.176). (2) In default of this he might, if acquitted, bring the calumniae judicium (Cic. Clu. 59, 163), by which he could recover a tenth of the value in dispute in the previous action, and one-fourth if the latter had been an interdict; but this remedy was unavailable unless it could be proved that the original plaintiff's motive had been merely to annoy the other party (Gaius, 4.175). (3) After acquittal in some actions (e. g. the actio injuriarum, Gaius, 4.177), the defendant could sue the plaintiff by judicium contrarium (the latter's bona fides in the earlier action here being immaterial: Gaius, 4.178), and thereby recover sometimes a tenth, sometimes a fifth, of the sum at issue in the previous proceedings. (4) In all actions in which there was a sponsio poenalis (for which see below) in favour of the plaintiff, the defendant was entitled to a promise by restipulatio of an equivalent sum in case the action went in his favour.

If the restipulationis poena was required from the plaintiff, the defendant could not have the benefit of the calumniae judicium or of the jusjurandum calumniae; and the judicium contrarium was not applicable to such cases.

Similarly, in the formulary period, if the plaintiff was not sufficiently secured against unwarranted defence of the action by other provisions,--e.g. duplication of damages (lis crescens) in case of defeat (Gaius, 4.171; Cic. pro Flacco, 21, 49); the sponsio poenalis in condictio certi, in the actio de constituta pecunia, and in interdicts tried per sponsionem; and the infliction of infamia on a defendant who was condemned (Gaius, 4.182),--he could require the defendant to take the jusjurandum calumniae: non calumniae causa ad inficias ire (Gaius, 4.172).

Under Justinian the judicia calumniae and contrarium and the penal sponsio and restipulatio had become obsolete. lnfamia and duplication of damages were still incidental to some actions ; the oath of calumnia was administered to both parties to an action and their advocates, and the losing side had to pay the other's costs (Inst. 4.16, 1).

[J.B.M]

Calumnia

(in old Latin, Kalumnia). The Latin word for slander. It was technically applied to false accusations. The person falsely accused, if acquitted, had the right of accusing the prosecutor in his turn on the charge of calumnia before the same jury. In civil cases the penalty was a pecuniary fine; in criminal cases the calumniator lost his right to appear again as a prosecutor, and in early times was branded on the forehead with a K ( Pro Rosc. Am. 20, 57).