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Causa famosa is an expression not found in Digesta 3.2, nevertheless it appears to be used as an equivalent for an actio famosa in a passage, discussed above, restricting the ability of a libertus to bring either an actio famosa or an actio that

pudorem … suggilat („suggests shame‟) against his patron.306 However, causa

301 _{Digesta 47.11.5 (Marcian): „In eum, cuius instinctu ad infamandum dominum seruus ad} statuam confugisse compertus erit, praeter corrupti serui actionem, quae ex edicto perpetuo competit, seuere animaduertitur‟.

302 _{Digetsa 48.5.15(14).1 (Scaevola): „Si uir infamandae uxoris suae causa adulterum} subiecerit, ut ipse deprehenderet, et uir et mulier adulterii crimine tenentur ex senatus consulto de ea re facto‟.

303 _{Digesta 5.1.79.1 (Ulpian): „Iudicibus de iure dubitantibus praesides respondere solent:} de facto consulentibus non debent praesides consilium impertire, uerum iubere eos prout religio suggerit sententiam proferre: haec enim res nonnumquam infamat et materiam gratiae uel ambitionis tribuit‟.

304 _{Oxford Latin Dictionary, above n. 32, entry 1 under „infamo‟, 894.}

305 _{Digesta 21.31.21 (Ulpian): there is a presumption that slaves are good „quia natione sunt} non infamata‟.

306

Digesta 2.4.10.12 (Ulpian): „Praetor ait: “in ius nisi permissu meo ne quis uocet”. Permissurus enim est, si famoso actio non sit uel pudorem non suggilat, qua patronus

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famosa may not here be as precise as actio famosa, as it is also perhaps being used as an equivalent to an action that suggilat pudorem. Not so ambiguous is where it is also stated that, if money is owed from a famosa causa and one that is not famosa, the debt is regarded as paid that arose from the famosa causa.307 Attributing a debt paid to an obligation that, if not fulfilled, would give rise to an

actio famosa is in accordance with the general hesitancy to grant actiones famosae, mentioned above, and supports an interpretation of causa famosa as a

causa that gave rise to an actio famosa.

As noted above in discussion of the term ignominia, it is stated that ignominia is of no application in condictiones, even when arising from a causa famosa.308 The very vagueness of the term causa, which has the basic meaning of cause, reason, inducement, but is used in a variety of different senses, including the reason for judicial measures, the purpose for which an action is brought, the trial itself, and subjective motive or intention.309 If referring to the trial itself, causa famosa could perhaps be regarded as the equivalent to actio famosa, which is suggested by

Digesta 2.4.10.2 (Ulpian), where actio famosa and causa famosa are used as equivalents.310

conuenitur uel parentes. Et totum hoc causa cognita debet facere: nam interdum etiam ex causa famosa, ut Pedius putat, permittere debet patronum in ius uocari a liberto: si eum grauissima iniuria adfecit, flagellis forte cecidit.

307 _{Digesta 46.3.7 (Ulpian): „Si quid ex famosa causa et non famosa debeatur, id solutum} uidetur, quod ex famosa causa debetur‟.

308 _{Digesta 44.7.36 (Ulpian).} 309

Berger, „Encyclopedic Dictionary‟, above n. 9, 383. 310 _{See above under disucssion of „Actiones Famosae‟.}

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Famosum Iudicium

The phrase iudicium famosum has an obvious connection to actio famosa, and is used with reference to an actio involving infamia.311

The term iudicium famosum is also used in the passage of the Digesta dealing with the method by which it was possible to avoid the consequences of infamia.312 It is stated that if a person famoso iudicio condemnatus („having been condemned

in a famoso iudicio‟) has undergone in integrum restitutio, this infamia eximi

(„frees [them] from infamia‟).313 As the term iudicium could refer to both criminal and civil actions,314 it is possible that this phrase here could refer to both those civil and criminal procedures that result in infamia. However, as iudicium is frequently synonymous with actio, the context must always guide this judgement.315

The phrase iudicium famosum is repeated in a passage stating that when a person is condemned after an oath in a famosum iudicium, then the person is famosus.316 Again, the link between famosum iudicium and infamia is clear.

A problematic issue, at first glance, is the status of stellionatus. Although it is stated in Digesta 3.2 that stellionatus involves infamia,317 it is later stated that

311 _{Digesta 50.17.104 (Ulpian): „Si in duabus actionibus alibi summa maior, alibi infamia} est, praeponenda est causa existimationis. Ubi autem aequiperant, famosa iudicia, etsi summam imparem habent, pro paribus accipienda sunt‟.

312 _{Essentially, restoration of the former state of affairs, see Berger, „Encyclopedic} Dictionary‟, above n. 9, 682 and Digesta 4.1.

313

Digesta 3.1.1.10 (Ulpian): „ … si quis famoso iudicio condemnatus per in integrum restitutionem fuerit absolutus, Pomponius putat hunc infamia eximi‟.

314 _{Contrast Berger, „Encyclopedic Dictionary‟, above n. 9, 520 (iudicium) with 341 (actio).} 315 _{Berger, „Encyclopedic Dictionary‟, above n. 9, 520.}

316

Digesta 12.2.9.2 (Ulpian): „Si damnetur quis post iusiurandum ex famoso iudicio, famosum esse magis est‟.

317 _{Digesta 3.2.13.8 (Ulpian): „Crimen stellionatus infamiam irrogat damnato, quamuis} publicum non est iudicium‟.

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stellionatus iudicium famosum quidem non est, sed coercitionem extraordinariam habet („stellionatus is not a famosum iudicium, but has extraordinary punishment‟).318

However, this contradiction may be resolved by regarding this second statement as being concerned not with whether stellionatus involved

infamia, but rather with the procedural nature of the action, i.e. that stellionatus is neither a publicum iudicium nor priuata actio,319 but rather is dealt with extra ordinem.