# Actum est de eo



## Rumor

Buenos días a todos.

Necesito ayuda para comprender el significado de la expresion "actum est de eo".  (por puro interés cultural)

Contexto a)
The patriarch in 1590 again received him. But Tasso's restless spirit drove him forth to Florence. The Florentines said, "*Actum est de eo*." Rome once more, then Mantua, then Florence, then Rome, then Naples, then Rome, then Naples -- such is the weary record of the years 1590-94. (Wikipedia, bajo el epígrafe Torquato Tasso)
 
Contexto b)
Sed haec melius constare possunt ex illis quae in opere De Caelo et Inferno ostensa sunt, imprimis ubi actum est de eo, Quod unaquaevis Societas caeli sit Caelum in minore forma, et unusquisque Angelus in minima (n. 51-58); *tum ubi actum est De Forma Caeli,* secundum quam Consociationes et Communicationes ibi (n. 200-212), et De Sapientia Angelorum Caeli (n. 265-275). San Agustin, sermon 356
 
Mis intentos
En el contexto a) es típico (o característico) de él?
En el contexto b) se trata de la forma del cielo.
 
Gracias por la ayuda que me puedan dar.


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## Starfrown

Rumor said:


> Contexto b)
> Sed haec melius constare possunt ex illis quae in opere De Caelo et Inferno ostensa sunt, *imprimis ubi actum est de eo*, Quod unaquaevis Societas caeli sit Caelum in minore forma, et unusquisque Angelus in minima (n. 51-58); *tum ubi actum est De Forma Caeli,* secundum quam Consociationes et Communicationes ibi (n. 200-212), et De Sapientia Angelorum Caeli (n. 265-275). San Agustin, sermon 356


This is not from Augustine's sermon, but rather _De Ultimo Iudicio et Babylonia Destructa_ by Emanuel Swedenborg.

One author renders _imprimis ubi actum est de eo_ as:

"especially where it treats on the following subject" (You can find the translation of the whole passage at the end of the first paragraph on this page. It begins, "But this is still more plain...")

I suppose a more literal translation of this phrase would be:

"especially where [it] was led/put forth (i.e. "treated" or "discussed") on this [subject]"

If I had to translate _actum est de eo_ naturally without any context, I might try:

"There was discussion on this [subject]"

or something of that nature.


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## Rumor

Thank you very much. I had almost abandoned any hope of receiving an answer when I received yours. 
Your explanation is clear and good enough for me.  Thanks again


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## Starfrown

I must say, though, I don't see how exactly my translation could fit into your first passage about Tasso.

Edit: 

Of course, _eo_ could be either neuter or masculine. Perhaps in your first passage, we should read _actum est de eo_ as:

"There has been discussion about him."

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Also, I'd like to hear from some of our other members here as to whether they believe _actum est_ in the passage from Swedenborg to be impersonal or personal.


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## Rumor

Thanks a lot and, of course, I would gladly welcome additional opinions from any other scholars like you


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## Starfrown

Rumor said:


> Thanks a lot and, of course, I would gladly welcome additional opinions from any other scholarslearners like you


I'm afraid I haven't yet earned that title.  But thanks nonetheless.

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Back to the subject at hand, I think your passages are interesting because they may present one of the relatively few cases in which a transitive verb is used impersonally in the passive voice.


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## Cagey

My _Bradley's Arnold_ gives the rule that the passives of "verbs of thinking and saying" (which ago is, in this context) are usually used personally in Latin, unlike English. However, it also gives the perfect passive as the exception to this rule, and the perfect passive is what we have here. 

ref: "Bradley's Arnold" _Latin Prose Composition._ ed. and rev. by J. Mountford. (1967);  #46.


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