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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §1.3.20.pr

Limits of Assigning Rational Grounds for Ancestral Laws

Passage 39 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Julian states that a rational explanation cannot always be provided for every legal institution established by our ancestors.

[IULIANUS libro quinquagensimo quinto digestorum. ] §1.3.20.prNon omnium, quae a maioribus constituta sunt, ratio reddi potest,
[JULIAN, Digest, Book 55] A reason cannot be given for everything which has been established by our ancestors,

Notes

  1. 1.3.20.prNon omnium — The negative adverb 'non' modifying the initial pronoun 'omnium' forms a partial negation ('not of all... can a reason be given'). 'omnium' (genitive neuter plural) serves as the antecedent of the following relative clause 'quae a maioribus constituta sunt' and functions as an objective genitive (or genitive of reference) dependent on 'ratio'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §1.3.20.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:1.3.20.pr

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