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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §1.7.40.pr-1.7.40.2

Children of the Arrogated, Age Gap, and Eligibility

Passage 142 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This chunk explains the status change of children when a paterfamilias is arrogated, the required age difference for adoption and arrogation, and the capacity of a spado to arrogate.

[MODESTINUS libro primo differentiarum. ] §1.7.40.prAdrogato patre familias liberi, qui in eius erant potestate, nepotes apud adrogatorem efficiuntur simulque cum suo patre in eius reccidunt potestatem.
[MODESTINUS, On Differences, book 1.] When a paterfamilias is arrogated, the children who were in his power become grandchildren under the arrogator, and at the same time they fall back with their own father into his power.
quod non similiter in adoptionem contingit: nam nepotes ex eo in aui naturalis retinentur potestate.
This does not happen similarly in adoption: for the grandchildren from him are retained in the power of their natural grandfather.
§1.7.40.1Non tantum cum quis adoptat, sed et cum adrogat, maior esse debet eo, quem sibi per adrogationem uel per adoptionem filium facit, et utique plenae pubertatis: id est decem et octo annis eum praecedere debet.
Not only when someone adopts, but also when he arrogates, he must be older than the person whom he makes a son to himself through arrogation or through adoption, and certainly of full puberty: that is, he must precede him by eighteen years.
§1.7.40.2Spado adrogando suum heredem sibi adsciscere potest nec ei corporale uitium impedimento est.
A spado, by arrogating, can adopt his own heir for himself, and his bodily defect is not a hindrance to him.

Notes

  1. 1.7.40.prin adoptionem — Although the preposition in takes the accusative adoptionem, it is used here in a static sense equivalent to the ablative in adoptione ('in the case of adoption'), rather than denoting motion.
  2. 1.7.40.1plenae pubertatis — A genitive of quality (genitivus qualitatis) expressing the age requirement of the adopter. It refers to 'full puberty' (implying an eighteen-year age gap), as opposed to ordinary puberty (pubertas, which is fourteen years).
  3. 1.7.40.2impedimento — A dative of purpose or effect (dativus finalis), which, combined with ei (dative of reference), forms a double dative construction meaning 'serves as a hindrance to him.'

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §1.7.40.pr-1.7.40.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:1.7.40.pr-1.7.40.2

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