Just Causes for Non-Defense and Procurators in Public Suits — Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian Book 3 (3.3.45.pr–3.3.45.2), Latin & English

[PAULUS libro nono ad edictum.]

[PAULUS in the ninth book on the Edict.]

§3.3.45.pr

non cogendum.¹ Sabinus autem nullas praetoris partes esse ad compellendum defendere, sed ex stipulatu ob rem non defensam agi posse: at si iustas causas habeat, cur iudicium accipere nolit, fideiussores non teneri, quia uir bonus arbitraturus non fuerit,² ut qui iustam excusationem adferret, defendere cogeretur. sed et si satis non dedit, sed repromittenti ei creditum est,³ idem statuendum est.

he is not to be compelled. Sabinus, however, says that the praetor has no role in compelling defense, but that an action can be brought on the stipulation on account of the matter not being defended; but if he has just causes for being unwilling to accept the trial, the guarantors are not held liable, because a good man would not have decided that one who brought forward a just excuse should be compelled to defend. But even if he did not give security, but credit was given to him on his promising in return, the same must be decided.

§3.3.45.1

Qui ita de publico agunt, ut et priuatum commodum defendant, causa cognita permittuntur procuratorem dare, et postea alius agens exceptione repelletur.

Those who sue on a public matter in such a way that they also defend a private interest, are permitted to appoint a procurator after an inquiry into the cause, and afterwards anyone else suing will be repelled by an exception.

§3.3.45.2

Si procuratori opus nouum nuntiatum sit isque interdicto utatur 'ne ei uis fiat aedificanti', defensoris partes eum sustinere⁴ nec compelli cauere ratam rem dominum habiturum Iulianus ait, et si satisdederit, non animaduerto, inquit Iulianus, quo casu stipulatio committatur.

If a protest against a new structure has been served on a procurator, and he uses the interdict ‘that violence not be done to him while building’, Julian says that he sustains the role of a defender and cannot be compelled to give security that the owner will ratify the act; and even if he has given security, Julian says, ‘I do not perceive in what case the stipulation would be forfeited.’

Syntax notes4 items

3.3.45.prnon cogendum
This is a gerundive construction expressing necessity, following the conditional clause in the preceding section (3.3.44.pr). The subject accusative (e.g., eum or procuratorem) is omitted, meaning 'he is not to be compelled to defend'.
3.3.45.pruir bonus arbitraturus non fuerit
An expression referring to the standard of a 'good man' or 'honest arbiter' in Roman law. The subjunctive perfect active periphrastic (arbitraturus non fuerit) indicates a counterfactual judgment about the past ('would not have decided'), which introduces the result clause ut... cogeretur ('that he should be compelled').
3.3.45.prrepromittenti ei creditum est
The dative participle repromittenti and dative pronoun ei function as the indirect object of the impersonal passive verb creditum est ('credit was given'). This refers to a scenario where, instead of giving full security (satisdatio), the party merely made a promise in return (repromissio) and was trusted on that basis.
3.3.45.2defensoris partes eum sustinere
An accusative with infinitive (A.C.I.) construction governed by Iulianus ait. Here, eum is the subject accusative, sustinere is the infinitive, and defensoris partes ('the role of a defender') is its object.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-07-12) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:3.3.45.pr-3.3.45.2