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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §10.3.9.pr

Loss of Peculium and Risk Allocation in Partition

Passage 1704 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section discusses the availability of the action for partition of common property and the allocation of risk when some of the peculium has perished in the hands of one partner, as well as the potential relief for a blameless master.

[AFRICANUS libro septimo quaestionum. ] §10.3.9.prSed postquam socius serui communis nomine de peculio in solidum damnatus esset, si apud socium res peculiares intercidant, nihilo minus utile erit iudicium communi diuidundo ad reciperandam partem pecuniae: alioquin iniquum fore, si tota ea res ad damnum eius qui iudicium acceperit pertineat, cum utriusque domini periculum in rebus peculiaribus esse debeat.
[AFRICANUS, from the seventh book of Questions.] But after one partner has been condemned in full in respect of the peculium on account of a common slave, if the things of the peculium should perish in the possession of the other partner, the action for partition of common property will nevertheless be useful for recovering a share of the money; otherwise, it would be inequitable if the whole matter should turn to the loss of him who undertook the action, since the risk concerning the property of the peculium ought to belong to both masters.
nam et eum, qui mandatu domini defensionem serui suscepit, omne quod bona fide praestiterit seruaturum, quamuis peculium postea interciderit.
For even he who, by the mandate of the master, has undertaken the defense of a slave, will recover everything that he has paid in good faith, even if the peculium has subsequently perished.
haec ita, si neutrius culpa interuenerit: etenim dominum, cum quo de peculio agitur, si paratus sit rebus peculiaribus petitori cedere, ex causa audiendum putauit, scilicet si sine dolo malo et frustratione id faciat.
This is so, if no fault on the part of either has intervened; for indeed, he thought that the master against whom the action concerning the peculium is brought, if he is ready to surrender the property of the peculium to the claimant, ought to be heard for good cause, provided, of course, that he does this without malicious intent and delay.

Notes

  1. §10.3.9.priniquum fore — fore (contraction of futurum esse) indicates a transition into indirect speech (accusative with infinitive), reflecting the reasoning of Africanus (or Julianus, whom he may be following) to justify the previous statement utile erit.
  2. §10.3.9.prqui iudicium acceperit — Using the technical term of Roman formulary procedure iudicium accipere (to accept the action/joinder of issue), this refers to the partner who was sued for the whole amount, accepted the formulary trial as defendant, and was condemned.
  3. §10.3.9.preum, qui mandatu domini defensionem serui suscepit, omne quod bona fide praestiterit seruaturum — An accusative with infinitive construction introduced by nam, where the accusative eum is the subject of seruaturum [esse]. The verb seruare is used here in the sense of preserving one's property from loss, i.e., 'recovering' or 'being indemnified for' expenses incurred on behalf of another.
  4. §10.3.9.prex causa audiendum — The gerundive audiendum [esse] means 'ought to be heard' or 'should be given a hearing.' Combined with ex causa (on good grounds / depending on the circumstances), it indicates that under certain justified conditions, the master's offer to surrender the physical property of the peculium to the plaintiff in order to be released from liability can be accepted.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §10.3.9.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:10.3.9.pr

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