Pact to Waive Security by Legatee and Its Irrevocability — Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian Book 2 (2.14.46.pr), Latin & English

[TRYPHONINUS libro secundo disputationum.]

[TRYPHONINUS, Disputations, book 2]

§2.14.46.pr

Pactum inter heredem et legatarium factum, ne ab eo satis accipiatur, cum in semestribus¹ relata est constitutio diui Marci seruari in hoc quoque defuncti uoluntatem, ualidum esse constat.² nec a legatario remissa heredi satisdatio per pactionem ex paenitentia reuocari debet, cum liceat sui iuris³ persecutionem aut spem futurae perceptionis deteriorem constituere.

It is well established that an agreement made between an heir and a legatee, to the effect that security should not be accepted from him, is valid, since it is reported in the Semestria that there is a constitution of the divine Marcus stating that the will of the deceased must be preserved in this matter as well. Nor should security, once remitted to the heir by the legatee through an agreement, be revoked on account of a change of mind, since it is permissible for one to make the enforcement of one’s own right or the hope of future acquisition worse.

Syntax notes3 items

2.14.46.prsemestribus
Ablative plural of the noun semestria (neuter plural), referring here to the "semiannual records" or Imperial registers containing decisions of the emperor's council.
2.14.46.prconstat
The subject of the impersonal verb constat ("it is established") is the accusative and infinitive construction pactum ... ualidum esse ("that the agreement is valid").
2.14.46.prsui iuris
iuris functions as an objective genitive modifying persecutionem, meaning "the enforcement of one's own right." sui is the reflexive possessive adjective.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-07-12)urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:2.14.46.pr