distinction — Decretum of Gratian
Distinction II
GRATIAN. Part I. The law of the Quirites consists of statutes, plebiscites, senatorial decrees, enactments of princes, edicts, or the opinions of jurists.
GRATIANUS. I. Pars. Constat autem ius Quiritum ex legibus et plebisscitis et senatusconsultis et constitutionibus principum et edictis siue prudentum responsis.
Friedberg, col. 3/4
C. I. What a statute is.
[Isidore, Etymologies, Book V, c. 10, and Book II, c. 10.] A statute is an enactment of the people by which the elders, together with the commons, sanctioned something.
C. I. Quid sit lex.
[Isidor. Etym. lib. V. c. 10. et l. II. c. 10.] Lex est constitutio populi, qua maiores natu simul cum plebibus aliquid sanxerunt.
Friedberg, col. 3/4
C. II. What a plebiscite is.
[Isidore, same chapter 11.] Plebiscites are those things which the commons alone establish; and they are called plebiscites because the commons know them, or because they vote upon and request that they be done.
C. II. Quid plebisscitum.
[Isidor. eod. c. 11.] Plebisscita sunt, quae plebes tantum constituunt: et uocantur plebisscita, quod ea plebs sciat, uel quod sciscitatur et rogat, ut fiat.
Friedberg, col. 3/4
C. III. What a senatorial decree is.
[Isidore, same chapter 12.] A senatorial decree is that which the senators alone determine in taking counsel for the peoples.
C. III. Quid senatusconsultum.
[Isidor. eod. c. 12.] Senatusconsultum est, quod tantum senatores populis consulendo decernunt.
Friedberg, col. 3/4
C. IV. What an enactment or edict is.
[Isidore, same chapter 13.] An enactment or edict is that which a king or emperor establishes or publishes.
C. IV. Quid constitutio uel edictum.
[Isidor. eod. c. 13.] Constitutio uel edictum est, quod rex uel imperator constituit uel edidit.
Friedberg, col. 3/4
C. V. What the opinions of jurists are.
[Isidore, same chapter 14.] The opinions of jurists are those which legal experts are said to give in answer to those consulting them; whence the Opinions of Paul are so called. For there were certain learned men and arbiters of equity who published composed institutes of civil law by which they might quiet the disputes and contentions of those at variance.
C. V. Que sint responsa prudentum.
[Isidor. eod. c. 14.] Responsa prudentum sunt que iurisconsulti respondere dicuntur consulentibus: unde responsa Pauli dicta sunt. Fuerunt enim quidam prudentes et arbitri equitatis, qui institutiones ciuilis iuris compositas ediderunt, quibus dissidentium lites contentionesque sopirent.
Friedberg, col. 3/4
C. VI. What tribunician or consular laws are.
[Isidore, same chapter 15.] Part II. Certain laws are also named after those who established them, as consular, tribunician, Julian, and Cornelian laws. For under Caesar Octavian, the suffect consuls Papius and Pompeius enacted a law that is called the Papian-Pompeian law from their names, containing rewards for fathers for begetting children. Under the same emperor, Falcidius, tribune of the commons, also made a law that no one should bequeath more by testament to strangers than would leave a fourth part for the heirs; from his name it is called the Falcidian law.
C. VI. Que sint tribuniciae leges uel consulares.
[Isidor. eod. c. 15.] II. Pars. Quedam etiam leges dicuntur ab his, qui condiderunt, ut consulares, tribuniciae, Iuliae, Corneliae. Nam et sub Octauiano Cesare suffecti consules Papius et Pompeius legem tulerunt, que a nominibus eorum appellatur Papia Pompeia, continens patrum premia pro suscipiendis liberis. Sub eodem quoque imperatore Falcidius tribunus plebis legem fecit, ne quis plus extraneis testamento legaret, quam ut quarta pars superesset heredibus, ex cuius nomine lex Falcidia nominata est.
Friedberg, col. 3/4
C. VII. What a lex satura is.
[Isidore, same chapter 16.] A lex satura is a law that speaks of several matters at the same time, named from the abundance of matters and, as it were, from fullness; whence to write satire is also to compose varied poems, as did Horace, Juvenal, and Persius.
C. VII. Quid sit lex satyra.
[Isidor. eod. c. 16.] Satyra uero lex est, que de pluribus simul rebus eloquitur, dicta a copia rerum et quasi a saturitate: unde et satyram scribere est poemata uaria condere, ut Oratii, Iuuenalis et Persii.
Friedberg, col. 3/4
C. VIII. What the Rhodian laws are.
[Isidore, same chapter 17.] The Rhodian laws concern maritime commerce and are named after the island of Rhodes, where in antiquity there was a practice of merchants.
C. VIII. Que sint Rodiae leges.
[Isidor. eod. c. 17.] Rodiae leges naualium commerciorum sunt, ab insula Rodo cognominatae, in qua antiquitus mercatorum usus fuit.
Friedberg, col. 3/4