Aulus Gellius, Attic Nights
John C. Rolfe, Ed.

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[11arg] The meaning of the word sculna, used by Marcus Varro.

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PUBLIUS LAVINIUS is the author of a carefully written book, entitled On Vulgar Words. In it he wrote that scublna was a colloquial form for seculna, “for which,” says he, “more elegant speakers use sequester, or' arbiter.'” Each of these words is derived from sequor, because both parties “follow” the decision of the arbiter who is chosen. Lavinius [p. 453] reminds us in the same book that sculna was written in the division of Marcus Varro's Logistorica entitled Caius. ¹ But that which was deposited with the arbiter they spoke of as sequestro positum, “deposited for arbitration,” using the adverb sequestro. Cato, in his speech On Ptolemy, against Thermus, says: ² “By the immortal gods, do not. . . .”