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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §12.2.38.pr

Refusal to Take or Refer Back the Oath

Passage 1935 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus points out that refusing either to take the oath or to refer it back constitutes a clear sign of moral baseness and an admission of guilt.

[PAULUS libro trigensimo septimo ad edictum. ] §12.2.38.prManifestae turpitudinis et confessionis est nolle nec iurare nec iusiurandum referre.
[PAULUS, Book 37 on the Edict.] To be unwilling either to swear or to refer the oath is a mark of manifest disgrace and confession.

Notes

  1. §12.2.38.prManifestae turpitudinis et confessionis est — The genitive noun phrase 'manifestae turpitudinis et confessionis' is used predicatively with the copula 'est' (genitive of characteristic or quality), where the subject is the following infinitive phrase 'nolle...'. It means 'to be unwilling... is a mark of manifest baseness and confession.'
  2. §12.2.38.prnolle nec iurare nec iusiurandum referre — The infinitive 'nolle' (to be unwilling) serves as the subject of the entire sentence. It takes two infinitives connected by 'nec... nec...' as its objects: 'iurare' (to swear) and 'referre' (to refer back the oath). The phrase 'referre iusiurandum' refers to the legal procedure where a party, instead of swearing, refers the oath back to the adversary to let them swear.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §12.2.38.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:12.2.38.pr

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