Language

Convicted or found guilty

convaincu

In Gamelin’s formula, convaincus means held proved guilty, rendered “convicted,” not persuaded in their own minds.

From the book

The Gods Are Athirst

Anatole France · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Meaning

Lemma.

In Gamelin’s formula, convaincus means held proved guilty, rendered “convicted,” not persuaded in their own minds. The plural includes all the accused without differentiation. It follows brief questioning and a collective vote, so the word’s air of completed proof contrasts with the thin examination narrated. The adjacent claim that the law is explicit supplies authority without explaining individual evidence.

Places to read

  1. Chapter XXII, paragraph 20FrenchTous les accusés sont convaincus: All the accused are convicted. Gamelin pronounces the blanket conclusion, not a psychological statement about the prisoners.