quaestio

verberibus et tormentis quaestionem habere
to hold an examination by floggings and tortures quaestio perpetua de repetundis
the standing court for crimes of extortion

quaestĭo, ōnis, f. [quaero], a seeking.

• I In gen. (Plautin.): cave, fuas mi in quaestione, lest you suffer yourself to be to seek, lest I have to look after you, Plaut. Pers. 1, 1, 52 (52): tibi ne in quaestione essemus, id. Capt. 2, 2, 3 (253); id. Ps. 2, 2, 68 (661).—
• II In partic., an inquiry, investigation, a questioning, question, subject of inquiry: quaestio est appetitio cognitionis, quaestionisque finis inventio, Cic. Ac. 2 (Luc.), 8, 26; 2, 36, 115: quae veri simillima (sententia sit), magna quaestio est, id. Tusc. 1, 11, 23; id. Fin. 2, 11, 34: rem in disceptationem quaestionemque vocare, to investigate, id. de Or. 3, 32, 129: res in quaestione versatur, is under investigation, id. Clu. 58, 159: de moribus ultima fiet quaestio, Juv. 3, 141: res in quaestionem venit, comes under investigation, Quint. 5, 14, 16: modo aliquam quaestionem poëticam ei proponeret, Nep. Att. 20, 2; cf. Cic. Att. 7, 19 fin.; Sen. Ben. 5, 8, 6; id. Ep. 48, 1; Suet. Tib. 56: quaestionem instituere, to institute an investigation, Quint. 7, 1, 6: quaestionem solvere, Sen. Ep. 48, 11; Quint. 5, 10, 26.—
• • • 2 A public judicial investigation, examination by torture, a criminal inquiry, inquisition; the crime is usu. constr. with de: cum praetor quaestionem inter sicarios exercuisset, instituted a trial for assassination, Cic. Fin. 2, 16, 54: verberibus ac tormentis quaestionem habuit pecuniae publicae, id. Phil. 11, 2, 5: quaestionem mortis paternae de servis paternis habere, id. Rosc. Am. 28, 78: quaestionem fugitare, id. ib. 28, 78: servos in quaestionem polliceri, id. ib. 28, 77: quaestionem ferre in aliquem, to appoint, institute, make a motion for, id. de Or. 1, 53, 227: habere ex aliquo, Liv. 33, 28: facere alicui, against any one, Dig. 34, 3, 20: quaestionem de furto constituere, Cic. Clu. 64, 181: quaestionem instituere de morte alicujus, id. ib. 64, 181: quaestionem de morte viri habere, id. ib. 65, 182; 63, 176: quaestionem habere de servis in caput filii, id. ib. 63, 176: ad quaestionem abripi, to examination by torture, id. ib. 33, 89: alicui servum in quaestionem ferre, id. ib. 64, 181: postulare servum in quaestionem, id. ib. 64, 181: quaestiones severius exercere, Liv. 9, 34: quaestioni praeesse, to conduct a trial as judge, Cic. Rosc. Am. 4, 11: quaestiones perpetuae, the inquisitions concerning certain crimes (repetundarum, majestatis, de falso, de sicariis, de injuriis, etc.), conducted annually, after 605 A. U. C., by a standing commission, and presided over by the praetor, Cic. Brut. 27, 106: judex quaestionis, the director of the criminal court under the presidency of the praetor, id. Clu. 54, 148; 33, 89; id. Brut. 76, 264: quaestiones extraordinariae, trials out of the common course, held under a special commission, Liv. 39, 14; so, quaestio nova, Cic. Mil. 5, 13: A QVAESTIONIBVS, an attendant in examinations, a torturer, inquisitor, Inscr. Grut. 545, 6; 560, 1. —
  • B Transf.
  • • 1 The court, the judges: dimittere eo tempore quaestionem, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 30, § 74: totam quaestionem a severitate ad clementiam transtulit, Val. Max. 8, 1, 6.—
    • 2 The subject of investigation, the matter, case, question: perdifficilis et perobscura quaestio est de naturā deorum, Cic. N. D. 1, 1, 1: dividere totam de dis immortalibus quaestionem in partis quattuor, id. ib. 2, 1, 3: quaestio proposita, Quint. 9, 2, 39.—
    • • b In partic., in rhet.
      • • α The rhetorical subject of debate: quaestionum duo sunt genera: alterum infinitum, alterum definitum. Definitum est, quod ὑπόθεσιν Graeci, nos causam: infinitum, quod θέσιν illi appellant, nos propositum possumus nominare, Cic. Top. 21, 79. —
        • β The main point in a disputed matter, the issue in a cause: quaestio est quae ex conflictione causarum gignitur controversia, hoc modo: Non jure fecisti: jure feci. Causarum autem haec est conflictio, in quā constitutio constat; ex eā igitur nascitur controversia, quam quaestionem dicimus, hoc modo: jurene fecerit, Cic. Inv. 1, 13, 18; cf. id. ib. 1, 6, 8.—
        • γ A question, a disputed point, quaestio est, it is doubtful, may be disputed: sapientia efficit sapientis sola per se: beatos efficiat necne sola per se quaestio est, Cic. Top. 15, 60; id. Tusc. 4, 13, 29; id. Inv. 2, 20, 60: quaestio est, an, etc., Quint. 7, 3, 22; cf.: nulla quaestio est, Aug. Retract. 1, 19, 6; cf. also: in quaestione est, Plin. 11, 17, 18, § 57; 10, 22, 27, § 52: quaestionis est immensae, id. 7, 28, 29, § 101; 28, 2, 3, § 10.

quaestio, ōnis, f. (quaero), das Suchen, I) eig.: cave fuas mihi in quaestione, dich suchen lassest, Plaut.: tibi ne quaestioni essemus, daß du uns nicht zu suchen hast, Plaut.

II) bildl.: A) die Befragung, Vernehmung, captivorum, Caes. b. G. 6, 32, 2. – B) die Erforschung, Untersuchung, wissenschaftliche Frage, 1) als Handlung: quae (sententia) veri simillima, magna quaestio est, fragt sich sehr, ist eine große Frage, Cic.: exsistit hoc loco quaedam quaestio subdifficilis, num etc., Cic.: hic suboritur quaestio valde difficilis, Boëth.: nascitur, oritur, exoritur quaestio, Quint.: tota fere quaestio tractata videtur, scheint fast abgetan zu sein, Cic.: u. so profligata iam haec et paene ad exitum adducta quaestio est, Cic.: in quaestionem vocare, untersuchen, Cic. – 2) meton., als Untersuchungsgegenstand, a) übh., der Gegenstand, die Materie, das Thema, de natura deorum, Cic.: Academica, in den akademischen Untersuchungen, Cic.: poëtica, Nep.: quaestionem sustinere posse, dem Stoffe gewachsen sein, Cic. – b) insbes., als rhet. t. t.: α) die strittige rednerische Materie, Cic. de inv. 1, 8 u.a. – β) der Hauptpunkt einer strittigen Materie, Cic. de inv. 1, 18. – C) eine öffentliche, gerichtliche, zuw. mit der Folter verbundene Untersuchung, das peinliche Verhör, dah. deutsch zuw. auch Folterung (s. Osenbrüggen Cic. Rosc. Am. 76 u. Einleitung zu Cic. Mil. S. 13. A. 25), 1) eig.: sic primus quaestionis dies consumptus, Tac.: cum postero die ad quaestionem retraheretur, Tac.: hae quaestiones in senatu habitae, Cic.: quod aestivum tempus instantis belli, non quaestionis esse arbitrabatur, dem bevorstehenden Kr., nicht einer Unters. gehöre, Caes.: quaestionem de bonis direptis decernere, Caes.: tormentis quaestionem habere pecuniae publicae, Cic.: quaestionem habere de viri morte, Cic.: qu. habere de servis in filium, Cic.: quaestionem habere ex servis, Liv.: quaestiones habere in alqm, Sall.: quaestionem inter sicarios exercere, U. wegen Meuchelmordes anstellen, Cic.: quaestionem ponere in alqm, Liv.: qu. ferre in alqm, Cic.: servos in quaestionem dare od. ferre, Cic.: abripi ad od. in quaestionem, Cic.: in quaestionem postulare, Cic.: quaestione novā alligari, in eine neue U. verfallen, Cic.: quaestionem facere alci, Liv.: quaestionem dimittere, einstellen, Cic.: quaestioni praeesse, Cic. – quaestiones perpetuae, stehende Untersuchungen, stehende Kriminalgerichte = unter dem beständigen Vorsitze des jedesmaligen Prätors geführte Untersuchungen über gewisse Kriminalverbrechen (s. Osenbrüggen Einleit. zu Cic. Mil. S. 34 ff.), seit 149 v. Chr. statt der Volksgerichte eingesetzt, Cic. Brut. 106. – iudex quaestionis, der die Kriminaluntersuchungen unter der Aufsicht des Prätors leitende Oberrichter, Cic. Brut. 264; Clu. 89 u. 148. – 2) meton.: a) die Untersuchungsakte, fictam quaestionem conscribere, Cic. Clu. 185. – b) das Gericht, Richterpersonal, die Richter, Val. Max. 8, 1. absol. 6.

quaestio [CL] 1 (act of) searching. querebatur ‥ et non inveniebatur ~onibus assiduis (Iltutus 19) VSB 220. 2 attempt to obtain, request, demand. 1362 concedentes eisdem ‥ potestatem ‥ [et] super omnibus et singulis ~onibus, debatis, peticionibus, vendicacionibus, et accionibus RScot 864a; 12‥ nullus ~onem pro negociis aliis in ecclesiis parochialibus admittat Conc. Scot. II 25; 1550 pro omni alio onere, exactione, ~one, demanda ‥ que de ‥ annuo redditu ‥ requiri poterunt Scot. Grey Friars II 43. 3 (usu leg.) interrogation, sts. involving torture. ~io, examinatio GlC Q 37; horrebat cibos, exosa erat mensa. trahebatur ad refeccionem quasi ad ~onem Gosc. Wulsin 22; 1309 quod ~ones fierent absque mutilacione (v. quaestionare b); s1319 captus est quidam explorator ‥ et cum vidisset se ~onibus addictum, promisit, si daretur ei penam evadere, totam machinacionem Scotorum revelare V. Ed. II 243; s1318 nulla ‥ evidencia seu probacione super hoc producta, ~onibus sibi illatis, tandem ‥ morti est adjudicatus Ann. Paul. 283. 4 judicial inquiry. b question (put by judge), formulation of point at issue. totam ejus artis vim in civilibus versari ~onibus Alcuin Rhet. 1; nec quicquam in eadem operis agatur servilis, negotia quoque secularia ~onesque publice in eadem deponantur die GAS 253; contra hunc vir domini Wlstanus ~onem instituit, de villis ecclesie sue quas ‥ ab Aldredo pervasas nec umquam redditas W. Malm. Wulfst. II 1; questio civilis vel que de crimine manat A. Meaux Susanna 81 (v. civilis 2b).  b ~o est constitutio, in qua causae disceptatio constat, hoc modo: ‘non jure fecisti,’ ‘jure feci’: ratio est, qua utitur reus, quare jure fecisset ‥ Alcuin Rhet. 10; 1300 Ranulfus per justiciarios quesitus si quid aliud dicere velit ‥ nec fuit intentio curie per ~onem ei inde factam quod ad aliquam responsionem ‥ resilire possit PlRCP 131 m. 264d.. 5 controversy, argument; b (as title of Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations). c (in ~onem venire) to come into question. d (in ~onem ponere or sim.) to make the subject of discussion. gravior de observatione Paschae ‥ controversia nata est. ‥ merito movit haec ~o sensus et corda multorum Bede HE III 25 p. 182; mota ‥ ~one de Pascha vel tonsura ‥ dispositum est ut ‥ synodus fieri et haec ~o terminari deberet Ib. p. 183; rursus ~o de investituris ecclesiarum, rursus bella, rursus lites agitari, neutris partibus loco cedentibus W. Malm. GR V 420; Augustinus ‥ xvjc libro De Civitate Dei ‥ de monstruosis hominum generibus ‥ ~onem movet Gir. TH II 19 p. 105; 1238 gravem movens adversus regem ~onem et calumpniam, eo quod ‥ ardua negotia regni perperam tractaverat M. Par. Maj. III 476; 1358 ~ones de temporalibus et decimis erroneas et falsas esse dico MunAcOx 211.  b ut ait Tullius libro primo de Tusculanis ~onibus W. Burley Vit. Phil. 82.  c quod si alicui in ~onem venerit quante sanctitatis ‥ fuerit, legat epistolam Leonis pape ‥ in qua vocat eum sanctissimum W. Malm. GP I 12; solus hanc gratiam meruerit, quod numquam ejus incorruptio vel in ~onem venerit Ib. III 126.  d nisi quia audio te hoc ponere in ~onem, putarem me hoc peccatum una sola compunctione delere Anselm (CurD 21) II 88; nimis erat Latinis difficile eorum episcopos ad consulendum de hac re colligere, nec erat necesse, unde non dubitabant hoc in ~onem adducere Ib. (Proc. Sp 13) II 212. 6 matter for discussion, problem, question (freq. in acad., philos., or theol. context); b (w. indir. qu.); c (as section in work); d (in title of work). Dardanus ‥ multas ~ones arripiens per mentis astutiam Ps.-Bede Collect. 324; qui fiunt allegoricae [v. l. alligorice, l. allegoricam] vel tipicam [v. l. typicam] ~onem Theod. Laterc. 12; hac responsione ‥ non est interrogationis nodus patenter solutus, sed veluti panucula ~onis involuta Aldh. PR 140 p. 194; exentesion [l. exegeseon], expositio quaessionum GlC E 412; sophismatum, ~onum Ib. Q 420; in ~one prima quesitum est ‘salubris’ penultima correpta an producta dici debeat Abbo QG 2 (5); haec ~o non difficile solvitur Anselm (Mon. 61) I 71; assiduis ad discipulos lectionibus ruminandisque et absolvendis ~onum difficultatibus W. Malm. GR I 60; copia perplexarum de fide aliisque misteriis ~onum Ord. Vit. X 3 p. 15; hec me sollicitat magis anxia quaestio: ‘Quare / flos nullus viridis, sit tamen herba virens? ’ Neckam DS VIII 167; 1375 magistris et bacallariis ‥ theologie facultatis in universitate de pluribus ~onibus respondit Mon. Hib. & Scot. 356a; 1589 cum scholaribus in grammaticalibus et logicalibus ‥ et cum baccalaureis in ~onibus philosophicis StatOx 441.  b ~one ‥ proposita, quae pars ejus tenenda sit, que reprobanda, prima contemplatione dijudicat Adel. ED 21; de ipso potest esse ~o utrum plus dilexerit Dominum Ailr. Serm. 15. 33; Paulus profundissimas ~ones, cur concluserit Deus omnia in incredulitate et cur subintraverit delictum ‥ omnes brevi compendio enodavit J. Ford Serm. 14. 8; de igne ‥ ~o est ubinam vera species ignis reperiri queat Neckam NR I 16; prima ~o ‥ est ~o an est; secunda ‥ est ~o quid est T. Sutton Gen. & Corrupt. 98.  c ut legitur xxxij ~one Ockham I. & P. 8.  d incipiunt ~ones supra primum methaphisice Bacon X 1; scripsit ‥ librum cujus titulus est, ‘de ~onibus suis ordinariis’ Capgr. Hen. 178. 7 jurisdiction (in quot of soke). participantium quoque causarum partim in socna, id est in ~one sua, rex habet, partim concedit aliis (Leg. Hen. 20. 1) GAS 560; in fiht vel insocna est quod ab ipsis qui in domo sunt contubernales agitur; hoc etiam ‥ wita enendabitur patrifamilias, si ~onem habeat querentem vel quesitam (Ib. 80. 12) Ib. 597.

quæstĭō, (8) ōnis, f. (quæro), ¶ 1 recherche : esse in quæstione alicui Pl. Capt. 253, être cherché par qqn, cf. Pl. Pers. 51 ; Ps. 663 ¶ 2 interrogatoire : captivorum Cæs. G. 6, 32, 2, interrogatoire des captifs, cf. Cic. Clu. 185, etc. ¶ 3 a) question, enquête quæstio est, oportueritne... Cic. Inv. 2, 79, la question se pose de savoir sʼil fallait..., cf. Cic. Inv. 2, 52 ; Or. 181 ; Top. 59 ; Tusc. 4, 29 ; in quæstione est Plin. 11, 57 ; maximæ quæstionis est Plin. 28, 10, cʼest une question, une très grande question ; quæstionem proponere Cic. Fam. 7, 19, mettre une question sur le tapis ; magna quæstio est Cic. Tusc. 1, 23, cʼest une question importante ; b) question, problème, thème : infinita Cic. de Or. 2, 134, question indéfinie, dʼordre général, cf. Cic. Top. 79 || point de discussion : Cic. Inv. 1, 18 ; 2, 15 ¶ 4 enquête judiciaire, information : quæstionem instituere, constituere de aliqua re Cic. Clu. 181, instituer une enquête sur qqch. ; habere Cic. Clu. 182, faire lʼenquête ; in aliquem ferre Cic. de Or. 1, 227, intenter une accusation contre qqn || quæstiones perpetuæ, chambres dʼenquête permanentes [connaissant chacune dʼun crimen particulier et présidées par un préteur ou à défaut par un quæsitor ] : Cic. Br. 106 ; 264 ; Clu. 89 ; 148 ; Mil. 13 ; quæstionem exercere inter sicarios Cic. Fin. 2, 54, présider la chambre dʼenquête sur les assassinats, ou quæstioni præesse Cic. Amer. 11 ¶ 5 question, torture : de servis in filii caput quæstionem habere Cic. Clu. 182, soumettre des esclaves à la question pour les faire déposer contre son fils ; in quæstionem deferre, postulare Cic. Clu. 181, soumettre à la question, réclamer pour la question ; quæstionem habere ex aliquo Liv. 33, 28, 6, soumettre qqn à la question ; quæstionem mortis paternæ de servis habere Cic. Amer. 78, mettre à la question des esclaves à propos du meurtre dʼun père, cf. Cic. Phil. 11, 5.

quaestio , onis. f. (quaero.)
找。問。詢査。以刑察亊。公審堂。辯。究。Erant quaestiones vel de caede vel de vi 時審殺罪與搶罪已有凡例。

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quaestiō ōnis, f

• QVAES-, a questioning, examination, inquiry, investigation: exploratā re quaestione captivorum, Cs.: rem in disceptationem quaestionemque vocare, to investigate: res in quaestione versatur, is under investigation: de moribus ultima fiet quaestio, Iu.—A judicial investigation, examination by torture, criminal inquiry, inquisition: cum praetor quaestionem inter sicarios exercuisset, conducted a trial for assassination: mortis paternae de servis paternis quaestionem habere: quaestionemin eum ferre, demand his prosecution: placuit quaestionem ex his haberi, L.: instituta de morte: ad quaestionem abripi, to the torture: illum in quaestionem postulavit: quaestiones severius exercere, L.: quaestioni praeesse, to sit as judge: tabellae quaestionis, records of testimony at an examination: quaestiones perpetuae, standing commissions of criminal investigation: iudex quaestionis (i. e. quaesitor): quaestiones extraordinariae, investigations by special commission, L.: dimittere eo tempore quaestionem, i. e. the court.—A question, subject of investigation, matter, case, cause, dispute, difficulty, inquiry: quae (sententia) viri simillima, magna quaestio est: perdifficilis de naturā deorum: de moribus ultima fiet Quaestio, Iu.: beatos efficiat (sapientia) necne quaestio est, may be disputed.—The record of a judicial inquiry, minutes of evidence: hanc fictam quaestionem conscripisse.

Quaestio

The Latin term for a court of inquiry, either extraordinaria, an extraordinary commission appointed by the Senate or people for special criminal cases, or perpetua, an ordinary criminal court for certain defined offences. The first court of this kind was held B.C. 149 to try a case of extortion.

In course of time, by the laws of Gaius Gracchus and of Sulla , the number of these tribunals was increased. In Cicero's time there were eight ordinary courts to try cases of extortion, high treason (maiestas), embezzlement (peculatus), unlawful canvassing for an office (ambitus), violence (vis), assassination, poisoning, and forgery. Every quaestio had a president (see quaesitor), either one of the praetors chosen by lot, or when the number of these was not sufficient, a iudex quaestionis, in addition to a certain number of sworn judges. See iudex.

It was open to any one except to women, infants, and those who were infames, to begin a criminal prosecution, even if he himself had not been the party injured. There was no public prosecutor; but the State, by means of pecuniary rewards and conferring of dignities, encouraged the prosecution of criminals. If, however, the accused party was found innocent, it was open to him to prosecute his accuser for chicanery. (See calumnia.) The case was begun by the postulatio, a request, with a statement of the crime and name of the accused, for permission to prosecute, made to the praetor at an open sitting in the market-place. If several persons offered themselves as accusers, the choice was made by divinatio (q. v.). But besides the principal accuser, others were allowed, who signed the indictment, and were therefore called subscriptores. When permission had been obtained, there followed the nominis delatio, the handing in of the indictment; the receptio and inscriptio, the reception and entry of the same in the official list by the praetor; the interrogatio, the examination (also by the praetor) of the accused, who was now reus (q. v.). Unless he pleaded guilty or clearly proved his innocence, the diei dictio, or date of hearing the case, was fixed at the earliest in ten days, in special cases not till 100 days later. It was the duty of the complainant to collect in the meantime the necessary evidence and witnesses, and for this purpose he received an official authorization. At the sitting of the court, which was held publicly by the sworn judges (cognitio), after the judges and parties had been cited, the accuser delivered his accusation in a continuous speech, the subscriptores followed him, then the accused and his patroni. The duration of these speeches (actiones) was at first unlimited, but afterwards, to correct the abuse of this privilege, a water-clock was introduced, which limited the time of each speaker; the time allowed for the defence was about a third greater than that for the accusation. Then followed the proof (probatio) of the case. For this documents, circumstantial evidence, and declarations of witnesses were used. Next, unless the case was adjourned for the production of further proof (ampliatio), or for a new trial on the third day (comperendinatio), the votes of the judges on the question of guilt or innocence were taken. The voting was usually in secret. The judges received from the president wooden tablets covered with wax, on the one side inscribed with a C (condemno, “I condemn”), on the other with an A (absolvo, “I acquit”). They erased one of these letters and threw the tablets into an urn. In cases where they were unable to decide respecting the guilt or innocence of the accused, they could signify the same by writing on the tablet the letters N. L. (non liquet).

The result of the voting was then formally proclaimed by the president; and if a fine was inflicted, the amount (litis aestimatio) was then decided by the president and the sworn judges. A man once acquitted could not be retried for the same offence unless his acquittal had been procured by collusion (see praevaricatio) of the accuser. There was no way of altering the verdict of the sworn judges, and the punishment was exacted immediately after the sentence had been given. If it was one of degradation (infamia) or exile (interdictio aquae et ignis; see exsilium), the man so punished could be reinstated in the rights he had forfeited (restitutio in integrum). This was done by a decree of the people; in later times, by the emperor's pardon. These courts of sworn judges lasted till the beginning of the third century A.D.