Institutio Oratoria

A third form of ambiguity is caused by the use of compound words; for example, if a man orders his body to be buried in a cultivated spot, and should direct, as is often done, a considerable space of land surrounding his tomb to be taken from the land left to his heirs with a view to preserving his ashes from outrage, an occasion for dispute may be afforded by the question whether the words mean

in a cultivated place

( in culto loco ) or

in an uncultivated place

( inculto loco ).

Thus arises the Greek theme

about Leon and Pantaleon, who go to law because the handwriting of a will makes it uncertain whether the testator has left all his property to Leon or his property to Pantaleon. [*](i. e. whether he wrote πάντα Λέοντι or Πανταλέοντι. ) Groups of words give rise to more serious ambiguity. Such ambiguity may arise from doubt as to a case, as in the following passage: [*]( Enn. Ann. 186. An ambiguous oracle quoted by Cicero ( de Div. II. lvi.). It might equally mean that Rome or Pyrrhus would conquer. Cp. the oracle given to Croesus: If thou cross the Halys, thou shalt destroy a mighty empire. ) —

1. I say that you, O prince of Aeacus' line,
2. Rome can o'erthrow.

Or it may arise from the arrangement of the words,