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The Digest of Justinian

§2.14.54.pr

Agreement Not to Sue and Discharge Upon Loss of Property

Scaevola's determination that if there is an agreement not to demand performance, no default occurs, and if the slave to be delivered dies, the debtor is not liable provided they were not in default before the agreement.

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[SCAEUOLA apud IULIANUM libro uicensimo secundo digestorum notat.]

[SCAEVOLA notes in the twenty-second book of Julian’s Digests.]

§2.14.54.pr

​Si pactus sim, ne Stichum, qui mihi debebatur, petam: non intellegitur mora mihi fieri mortuoque Sticho1 puto non teneri reum,2 qui ante pactum moram non fecerat.

​If I should agree not to claim Stichus, who was owed to me, it is not understood that default is made towards me; and if Stichus dies, I think that the debtor, who had not made default before the agreement, is not held liable.

Syntax notes2 items
  1. 2.14.54.prmortuoque Sticho

    An ablative absolute construction with a perfect participle, here expressing a condition ('if Stichus dies'). It presupposes the rule of discharge of obligation when the specific object of the debt perishes due to force majeure (death) before default.

  2. 2.14.54.prreum

    In classical legal Latin, reus (unlike its modern meaning of 'defendant') refers to 'a party to a transaction' or specifically 'the debtor (the obligated party)'. Here it represents the debtor who bears the obligation of performance.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-07-12)urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:2.14.54.pr