Frontinus: OPUSCULA RERUM RUSTICARUM

Limitum prima origo, sicut Varro descripsit, a[d] disciplina[m] <Et>rusca[m]; quod aruspices orbem terrarum in duas partes diviserunt, dextram apellaverunt <quae> septentrioni subiacere<t>, sinistram quae a meridiano terra<e> esse<t> <ab oriente ad> occasum, quod eo sol et luna spectaret, sicut quidam carpiunt architect<i> delubra in occidente<m> recte <s>pectare scripserunt. Aruspices altera[m] linea[m] a septentrione ad meridianum diviserunt terram, <et> a me[ri]dia[no] ultra antica, citra postica nominaverunt.

The first origin of boundaries, as Varro described, is from the Etruscan discipline; for the haruspices divided the world into two parts, calling the right one that which lies beneath the north, and the left that which is from the south and stretches from east to west, toward which the sun and moon look, since some architects indeed have written that temples ought rightly to face west. The haruspices divided the land by another line from north to south, and they named beyond the meridian “antica,” and this side “postica.”

Ab hoc fundamento maiores nostri in agrorum mensura videntur constituisse rationem. Primum duo limites duxerunt; unum ab oriente in occasum, quem vocaverunt decimanum; alterum a meridiano ad septentrionem, quem cardinem appellaverunt. Decimanus autem dividebat agrum dextra et sinistra, cardo citra et ultra.

From this foundation our ancestors seem to have established the system of measuring fields. At first they drew two limits: one from east to west, which they called the decimanum; the other from south to north, which they called the cardinem. The decimanus moreover divided the field into right and left, the cardo into citra and ultra.

Quare decimanus a decem potius quam a duobus, cum omnis ager eo fine in duas dividatur partes? Vt duopondium [et duoviginti] quod dicebant antiqui, nunc dicitur <di>pondium [et viginti], sic eti<am> duo[de]cimanus decimanus est factus. Kardo nominatur quod directus a kardine[m] caeli est.

Why is decimanus derived from ten rather than from two, since every field by that boundary is divided into two parts? Just as duopondium [and duoviginti], which the ancients used to say, is now called dipondium [and viginti], so likewise duodecimanus was made decimanus. Kardo is named that which is directed from the cardine (axis) of the sky.

[Nam sine dubio caelum vertitur in septentrionali orbe].

[For without doubt the sky turns in the northern orb.]

Postea hoc ignorantes non nulli aliud secuti, ut quidam agri magnitudinem, qui qua longior erat, fecerunt decumanum. Quidam non ortum <s>pectant, sed ita adversi sunt, ut sint contra septentrionem; ut in agro Campano qui est circa Capuam, ubi est kardo in oriente[m> et decumanus in meridianum.

Afterwards, ignorant of this, some, following a different rule, made the decumanus according to the greater dimension of the field — that is, which way it was longer. Some do not face the east, but are so turned that they lie toward the north; as in the Campanian plain about Capua, where the kardo is to the east and the decumanus to the south.

Ab his duobus omnes agri partes nominantur. Reliqui limites fiebant angustiores et inter se distabant par[t]ibus intervallis. Qui spectabant in oriente<m>, dicebant prorsos: qui dirigebant in meridianum, dicebant [et] transversos.

From these two all the parts of the fields are named. The remaining boundaries were made narrower and stood apart from one another by intervals of parcels. Those that faced east they called prorsos; those that were directed toward the south they called [and] transversos.

Haec vocabula in lege, quae est in agro Uritano in Gallia, item in quibusdam locis adhuc permanere dicuntur. Limites autem appellati transvers<i> s<unt> a limo, [id est] antiquo verbo [transgressa]; a quo dicunt poetae "limis oculis"; item limum cinctum, quod purpuram transversam habeat, <e>t limina ostiorum. Alii et prorsos et transversos dicunt limites a limi<n>ibus, quod per eos in agro intro et foras eatur.

These vocabula in the law, which is in the Uritan field in Gaul, likewise are said to remain yet in certain places. Limits, however, are called transversi from limus, [that is] an ancient word [transgressed]; from which, they say, the poets "limis oculis" (with worn eyes); likewise limum girded, which has a transverse purple (a transverse purple band), and limina of doors. Others call both the prorsus and the transversi limits from liminibus, because through them in the field one goes in and out.

Hi ab incolis variis ac dissimilibus vocabulis a caeli regione aut a loci natura sunt cognominati: in alio loco sicut in Umbria circa Fanum Fortunae, qui ad mare spectant maritimos appellant, alibi qui ad monte<m> montanos.

These by the inhabitants are surnamed with various and dissimilar vocables from the region of the sky or from the nature of the place: in one locality, as in Umbria about the Fanum Fortunae, those who look toward the sea they call maritimos; elsewhere those who face the mountain, montanos.

Primum agri modum fecerunt quattuor limitibus clausum [figuram similem:], plerumque cent<en>um pedum in utraque parte (quod Gr<a>eci plethron appellant, Osci et Umbri vorsum), nostri centen<um> et vicen<um> in utraque parte; cuius ex IIII unum latus, sicut diei XII horas, XII menses anni, XII decempedas esse voluerunt. <IV> actibus con<clus>um locum primum appellatum dic<unt> fundum. Hi duo fundi iuncti iugerum definiunt.

First they made the measure of a field enclosed by four limits [figuram similem:], generally one hundred feet on each side (which the Gr<a>eci call plethron, the Osci and Umbri vorsum), our one hundred and twenty on each side; of which one side of the 4 they wished to be, like the 12 hours of the day, the 12 months of the year, 12 decempedas. <4> actibus con<clus>um locum primum appellatum dic<unt> fundum. Hi duo fundi iuncti iugerum definiunt.

Deinde haec duo iugera iuncta in unum quadratum agrum efficiunt, quod sint in omnes partes actus bini in hunc modum. Quidam primum appellatum dicunt sortem et centies ductum centuria[m>. sunt qui centuriam maiorem modum appellant, ut Cremonae de<nu>m et duce<nu>m. Sunt qui minorem, ut in Italia triumvirale<m> iugerum quinquagenum.Nam et omnes in subsicivis extremae centuriae, quae non sunt quadratae, in eadem permanent appellatione.

Then these two iugera joined into one make a square field, so that in every direction there are two actus (bini actus) in this manner. Some call the first-called sort and a hundredfold, centuria[m>. There are those who call the larger measure a centuria, as at Cremona de<nu>m and duce<nu>m. There are those who (call) the smaller, as in Italy the triumvirale<m> iugerum of fifty. For even all at the margins, the terminal centuriae which are not square, remain under the same appellation.

Optima[e] ergo ac rationalis agrorum constitutio est, cuius decimani ab oriente in occidentem diriguntur, kardines a meridiano in septentrionem. Multi mobilem solis ortum et occasum secuti variarunt hanc rationem. Sic uti<que> effectum est, ut decimani spectarent ex qua parte sol eo tempore, quo mensura acta est, oriebatur.

The best and most rational constitution of fields, therefore, is that whose decimani are directed from east to west, kardines from south to north. Many, having followed the movable rising and setting of the sun, varied this system. Thus likewise it came about that the decimani would be set to face from which quarter the sun at that time, when the measuring was done, was rising.

Et multi, ne proximae coloniae limitibus ordinatos limites mitterent, exacta conversione di<s>creverunt. Et sic per totum orbem terrarum est unaquaeque limitum constitutio, ubi proxima ***

And many, lest they send boundaries laid out according to the limits of a neighboring colony, by an exact turning marked them off. And thus throughout the whole orb of lands is each constitution of boundaries, where the neighboring ***

Sunt et aliae limitum condiciones, quae ad solum non pertinent [, hoc est ad artem nostram]. Solum autem quodcumque coloniae est adsignatum, id universum pertica appellatur: quidquid huic universitati adplicitum est ex alterius civitatis fine, [sine solidum sive <culte>llatum fuerit,] praefectura appellatur.

There are also other conditions of limits, which do not pertain to the soil [, that is, to our art]. But whatever soil is assigned to a colony, that whole thing is called a pertica: whatever is attached to this universitas from the boundary of another city, [without having been solidum or <culte>llatum,] is called a praefectura.