Capitis Deminutio Maxima
Capital letters have lots of meanings. See the difference between: Bush and bush
Capitis deminutio is a term used in Roman trials referring to the extinguishing, either in whole or in part, of a person's former legal capacity.
There were three changes of state or condition attended with different consequences, maxima, media and minima.
capitis deminutio minima, consisted of a person ceasing to belong to a particular family, without loss of liberty or citizenship.
capitis deminutio media, consisted of a loss of citizenship and family without any forfeiture of personal liberty.
The greatest, capitis deminutio maxima, involved the loss of liberty, citizenship, and family (e.g. being made a slave or prisoner of war).
(Thomas Mackenzie Mackenzie and John Kirkpatrick: Studies in Roman Law.Chapter II, pp. 71–2.)
http://www.peter-hug.ch/lexikon/diminutiocapitis
Translation: Capitis means of head (genitive case of caput), deminutiomeans decrease or withdrawal, and maxima, media, and minima means the greatest, medium, and the least.
