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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §1.1.11.pr

Various Meanings of the Term Law by Paulus

Passage 11 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus points out the multiple meanings of the term "ius", explaining that besides natural law, civil law, and honorary law, it also refers to the judicial acts of the praetor (even when unjust) and the physical place where justice is administered.

[PAULUS libro quarto decimo ad Sabinum. ] §1.1.11.prIus pluribus modis dicitur: uno modo, cum id quod semper aequum ac bonum est ius dicitur, ut est ius naturale.
[PAULUS in the fourteenth book on Sabinus.] "Ius" is used in several senses: in one sense, when that which is always equitable and good is called "ius", as is natural law; in another sense, what is useful to all or to most in any city, as is civil law.
altero modo, quod omnibus aut pluribus in quaque ciuitate utile est, ut est ius ciuile. nec minus ius recte appellatur in ciuitate nostra ius honorarium.
No less is the honorary law rightly called "ius" in our city.
praetor quoque ius reddere dicitur etiam cum inique decernit, relatione scilicet facta non ad id quod ita praetor fecit, sed ad illud quod praetorem facere conuenit.
The praetor also is said to "render justice" even when he decrees unjustly, reference being made, of course, not to what the praetor actually did in that way, but to what it was fitting for the praetor to do.
alia significatione ius dicitur locus in quo ius redditur, appellatione collata ab eo quod fit in eo ubi fit.
In another signification, "ius" is used to denote the place where justice is administered, the name being transferred from that which is done therein to the place where it is done.
quem locum determinare hoc modo possumus: ubicumque praetor salua maiestate imperii sui saluoque more maiorum ius dicere constituit, is locus recte ius appellatur.
Which place we can define in this manner: wherever the praetor, preserving the majesty of his authority and preserving the custom of the ancestors, determines to declare the law, that place is rightly called "ius".

Notes

  1. §1.1.11.prrelatione scilicet facta non ad id quod ita praetor fecit, sed ad illud quod praetorem facere conuenit — relatione facta is an ablative absolute. The accusative and infinitive clause praetorem facere (for the praetor to do) functions as the subject of the impersonal verb convenit (it is fitting).
  2. §1.1.11.prappellatione collata ab eo quod fit in eo ubi fit — appellatione collata is an ablative absolute (collata is the perfect participle of conferre, meaning 'transferred'). The "eo" in "in eo" is a neuter ablative pronoun referring back to "locus". This explains the semantic shift by metonymy: "from that which is done in that place (eo quod fit in eo) to the place where it is done (ubi fit)".
  3. §1.1.11.prsalua maiestate imperii sui saluoque more maiorum — An ablative of attendant circumstances (or ablative absolute) using the adjective salvus (unharmed, preserved). Literally, "with the majesty of his power being preserved, and the custom of the ancestors being preserved", indicating a prerequisite condition.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §1.1.11.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:1.1.11.pr

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