Legal Definitions - convicium

Convicium refers to a form of verbal assault or public shaming, characterized by strong reproach, abuse, revilement, or loud, aggressive criticism directed at an individual. Originating in Roman law, it describes situations where someone is subjected to intense verbal attacks, often in a public or semi-public setting, designed to demean or insult them.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Imagine a heated town hall meeting where a resident stands up and, instead of asking a question, launches into a prolonged, loud, and personal attack against the mayor, using insulting language and making baseless accusations about their character in front of the entire audience.

  Explanation: This scenario demonstrates convicium because the resident is directing intense reproach and abuse (insulting language, baseless accusations) with clamor (loud, prolonged attack) at the mayor in a public forum, aiming to revile them.

• Example 2: During a live televised debate, one political candidate repeatedly interrupts their opponent, not to challenge policy, but to shout personal insults and make demeaning remarks about their opponent's intelligence and integrity, causing a significant disruption.

  Explanation: This illustrates convicium as the candidate is engaging in abuse and revilement through shouted personal insults and demeaning remarks, creating clamor directed specifically at their opponent, rather than engaging in substantive discussion.

• Example 3: A customer, dissatisfied with a service, stands in the middle of a busy restaurant and loudly berates a server, using offensive language, making personal threats, and accusing the server of incompetence in front of other patrons.

  Explanation: This situation exemplifies convicium because the customer is directing abuse (offensive language, threats) and reproach (accusations of incompetence) with clamor (loud berating) at the server, subjecting them to public revilement.