Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §1.6.1.pr-1.6.1.2

Persons of Independent Status and Those Subject to Another

Passage 92 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Gaius presents a new division in the law of persons between those of their own right and those subject to the right of another, discussing the master's power over slaves under the law of nations and its modern restrictions under imperial law.

[GAIUS libro primo institutionum. ] §1.6.1.prDe iure personarum alia diuisio sequitur, quod quaedam personae sui iuris sunt, quaedam alieno iuri subiectae sunt.
[GAIUS in the first book of the Institutes.] Another division follows concerning the law of persons, namely, that some persons are of their own right, and some are subject to the right of another.
uideamus itaque de his, quae alieno iuri subiectae sunt: nam si cognouerimus quae istae personae sunt, simul intellegemus quae sui iuris sunt.
Let us therefore look at those who are subject to the right of another; for if we learn who these persons are, we shall at the same time understand who are of their own right.
dispiciamus itaque de his, quae in aliena potestate sunt.
Let us therefore examine those who are in the power of another.
§1.6.1.1Igitur in potestate sunt serui dominorum (quae quidem potestas iuris gentium est: nam apud omnes peraeque gentes animaduertere possumus dominis in seruos uitae necisque potestatem fuisse) et quodcumque per seruum adquiritur, id domino adquiritur.
Now, slaves are in the power of their masters (which power is indeed of the law of nations, for we can observe that among all nations alike, masters had the power of life and death over their slaves) and whatever is acquired through a slave is acquired for the master.
§1.6.1.2Sed hoc tempore nullis hominibus, qui sub imperio Romano sunt, licet supra modum et sine causa legibus cognita in seruos suos saeuire.
But at the present time, no persons who are under the Roman empire are permitted to rage against their slaves excessively and without a cause recognized by the laws.
nam ex constitutione diui Antonini qui sine causa seruum suum occiderit, non minus puniri iubetur, quam qui alienum seruum occiderit.
For according to a constitution of the divine Antoninus, anyone who kills his own slave without a cause is ordered to be punished no less than one who kills another's slave.
sed et maior asperitas dominorum eiusdem principis constitutione coercetur.
But also the excessive severity of masters is restrained by a constitution of the same emperor.

Notes

  1. §1.6.1.prquod — Appositive conjunction. It introduces an explanatory clause expressing the concrete content of the preceding noun "diuisio" (namely, that some persons...).
  2. §1.6.1.1dominis in seruos uitae necisque potestatem fuisse — Accusative with Infinitive (A.C.I.) construction serving as the object of "animaduertere possumus" (we can observe). "fuisse" is the infinitive of existence, with "potestatem" as its subject accusative. "dominis" is a dative of possession, meaning "that masters had...".
  3. §1.6.1.2legibus cognita — "cognita" is a perfect participle used adjectively to modify "causa" (cause). "legibus" is an ablative of means or instrument (or analogous to an ablative of agent), meaning "recognized by the laws".

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §1.6.1.pr-1.6.1.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:1.6.1.pr-1.6.1.2

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.