Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §1.15.4.pr

Punishment for Fire, Referral of Arsonists, and Runaways

Passage 185 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

A rescript of the Emperors Severus and Antoninus to the prefect of the watch, specifying the punishments for negligent fire-starters, ordering the referral of intentional arsonists to the prefect of the city, and outlining the duty to search for runaway slaves.

[ULPIANUS libro singulari de officio praefecti urbi. ] §1.15.4.prImperatores Seuerus et Antoninus Iunio Rufino praefecto uigilum ita rescripserunt: 'Insularios et eos, qui neglegenter ignes apud se habuerint, potes fustibus uel flagellis caedi iubere: eos autem, qui dolo fecisse incendium conuincentur, ad Fabium Cilonem praefectum urbi amicum nostrum remittes: fugitiuos conquirere eosque dominis reddere debes. '
[ULPIANUS, in his single book On the Office of the Prefect of the City.] The Emperors Severus and Antoninus wrote back to Junius Rufus, the prefect of the watch, as follows: 'You can order the apartment managers, and those who have kept fire too negligently in their quarters, to be beaten with clubs or whips; however, those who are convicted of having caused a fire maliciously, you shall remit to our friend Fabius Cilo, the prefect of the city. You must search for runaway slaves and return them to their masters.'

Notes

  1. 1.15.4.prcaedi iubere — The passive infinitive caedi (to be beaten) functions as the complement of the transitive verb iubere (to order), with its accusative subject being the preceding insularios et eos. It expresses an causative relationship: 'to order that they be beaten' (i.e., 'to order [others] to beat them').
  2. 1.15.4.prremittes — Although this is the second-person singular future indicative, in legal texts and official documents (such as rescripts) it is used to express an obligation or command equivalent to an imperative ('you shall remit' or 'you must remit').
  3. 1.15.4.prdolo — This concept stands in contrast to culpa (negligence) mentioned in the previous section (1.15.3.1). While fires caused by negligence are handled by the prefect of the watch with immediate corporal punishment, arson committed dolo (with malice/intent) is treated as a severe crime, requiring referral to the prefect of the city (praefectus urbi) who holds higher jurisdiction.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §1.15.4.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:1.15.4.pr

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.