AlmosteverygestureandalmosteverysetofformalwordsintheLegisActioSacramentisymbolisesomethingwhich，insomepartoftheworldoranother，insomeAryansocietyoranother，hasdevelopedintoanimportantinstitution。Theclaimantplaceshishandontheslaveorothersubjectofdispute，andthisgraspofthethingclaimed，whichisreproducedinthecorrespondingprocedureoftheancientGermansandwhich，fromthem，wascontinuedinvariousmodifiedformsfardownintotheMiddleAges，isanearlyexampleofthatdemandbeforeactiononwhichallcivilisedsystemsoflawinsist。Thewand，whichtheclaimantheldinhishand，isstatedbyGaiustohaverepresentedaspear，andthespear，theemblemofthestrongmanarmed，servedasthesymbolofpropertyheldabsolutelyandagainsttheworld，notonlyintheRomanbutinseveralotherWesternsocieties。Theproceedingsincludedaseriesofassertionsandreassertionsofrightbytheparties，andthisformaldialoguewastheparentoftheArtofPleading。Thequarrelbetweenplaintiffanddefendant，whichwasamerepretenceamongtheRomans，longremainedarealityinothersocieties，and，thoughitstheorywasaltered，itsurvivedintheWagerofBattlewhich，asanEnglishinstitution，wasonlyfinallyabolishedinourfathers’day。TheinterpositionofthePraetorandtheacceptanceofhismediationexpandedintotheAdministrationofJusticeintheRomanState，oneofthemostpowerfulofinstrumentalitiesinthehistoricaltransformationofthecivilisedworld。Thedisputantsstakedasumofmoney——theSacramentum，fromwhichtheproceedingstooktheirname——onthemeritsoftheirquarrel，andthestakewentintothepublicexchequer。Themoneythuswagered，whichappearsinasingularlylargenumberofarchaiclegalsystems，istheearliestrepresentativeofthoseCourt-feeswhichhavebeenamoreconsiderablepowerinlegalhistorythanhistoriansoflawarealtogetherinclinedtoadmit。TheveryspiritinwhichaLegisActiowasconductedwasthatwhich，intheeyesoflaymen，hasbeenmostcharacteristicoflawyersinallhistoricaltimes。
If，SaysGaius。yousuedbyLegisActioforinjurytoyourvines，andcalledthemvines，youwouldfail；youmustcallthemtrees，becausethetextoftheTwelveTablesspokeonlyoftrees。TheancientcollectionofTeutoniclegalformulas，knownastheMalbergGloss，containsprovisionsofpreciselythesamecharacter。Ifyousueforabull，youwillmiscarryifyoudescribehimasabull；youmustgivehimhisancientjuridicaldesignationof’leaderoftheherd。’Youmustcalltheforefingerthe’arrow’-finger，thegoatthe’browseruponleeks。’TherearelawyersalivewhocanrecollectwhentheEnglishsystemofSpecialPleading，nowjustexpiring，wasapplieduponprinciplesnotremotelyakintotheseandhistoricallydescendedfromthem。
ThedescriptiongivenbyGaiusoftheLegisActioSacramentiisfollowedbyalacunainthemanuscript。ItwasonceoccupiedwithanaccountoftheJudicisPostulatio，whichwasevidentlyamodificationoftheolderSacramentalActionbywhichthisancientremedywasadaptedtoaparticularclassofcases。ThetextofthetreatisebeginsagainwithadescriptionoftheCondictio，whichissaidbyGaiustohavebeencreated，butwhichisbelievedtohavebeenonlyregulated，bytwoRomanstatutesofthesixthcenturyofRome——theLexSiliaandtheLexCalpurnia。
TheCondictio，whichafterwardsdevelopedintooneofthemostusefuloftheRomanactions，originallyderiveditsnamefromanoticewhichtheplaintiffgavethedefendanttoappearbeforethePraetorinthirtydays，inorderthataJudexorrefereemightbenominated；andimmediatelyasImyselfthinkonthisnoticebeinggiven，thepartiesenteredintoa’sponsio’and’restipulatio，’thatis，theylaidaformalwagerdistinctfromthestakecalledSacramentumonthejusticeoftheirrespectivecontentions。Thesumthusstaked，whichwasalwaysequaltoathirdoftheamountindispute，wentintheendtothesuccessfullitigant，andnot，liketheSacramentum，totheState。Lawyerswondered，Gaiustellsus，thatsuchanactionshouldbeneededwhenpropertycouldhavebeenrecoveredbytheolderandunmodifiedprocedure。ManytechnicalanswerstothisquestionhavebeengivenbymoderncommentatorsonRomanlaw，butwewillseewhetherabetterexplanationofitcannotbeobtainedbyapproachingitfromanotherside。
Gaius，leavingtheCondictio，proceedstodiscusstwooftheLegisActiones，theManusInjectioandthePignorisCapio，whichcannotbemadetosquareinanywaywithourmodernconceptionofanaction。TheManusInjectioisexpresslystatedtohavebeenoriginallytheRomanmodeofexecutionagainstthepersonofajudgmentdebtor。Ithasconsiderablehistoricalinterest，foritwasundoubtedlytheinstrumentofthecrueltiespractisedbytheRomanaristocracyontheirdefaultingplebeiandebtors，andthusitgavethefirstimpetustoaseriesofpopularmovementswhichaffectedthewholehistoryoftheRomanCommonwealth。ThePignorisCapioalso，possiblyunderaslightlyalteredname，wasamodeofexecutioninlatertimesagainstpropertyafterdecree；