Legal Definitions - vadiatio

Definition: Vadiatio is a Latin term used in law to refer to a wager or bet. It was commonly used in the past to describe two specific types of bets:

1. Vadiatio duelli: A wager of battle, also known as trial by combat. This was a medieval practice where two parties would fight each other to settle a dispute.
2. Vadiatio legis: A wager of law, where a person would swear an oath to prove their innocence or guilt in a legal matter.

For example, in the Middle Ages, if two knights had a disagreement over land ownership, they might settle the matter through vadiatio duelli, by fighting each other with swords. Similarly, in vadiatio legis, a person might swear an oath to prove their innocence in a criminal trial.

These examples illustrate how vadiatio was used in the past to settle disputes through physical or verbal means, rather than relying on evidence or legal arguments.