Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §14.3.1.pr

Liability for Manager Contracts and Employer Actions

Passage 2200 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The passage discusses the praetor's consideration of equity regarding liability for managers' contracts, distinguishing the employer's direct right of action based on whether the manager is their own slave, another's slave, or a free person.

[ULPIANUS libro uicensimo octauo ad edictum. ] §14.3.1.prAequum praetori uisum est sicut commoda sentimus ex actu institorum, ita etiam obligari nos ex contractibus ipsorum et conueniri.
[ULPIANUS, from the twenty-eighth book on the Edict.] It seemed equitable to the praetor that, just as we receive benefits from the acts of managers, so we should also be bound by their contracts and be sued.
sed non idem facit circa eum qui institorem praeposuit, ut experiri possit: sed si quidem seruum proprium institorem habuit, potest esse securus adquisitis sibi actionibus: si autem uel alienum seruum uel etiam hominem liberum, actione deficietur: ipsum tamen institorem uel dominum eius conuenire poterit uel mandati uel negotiorum gestorum.
But he does not do the same in regard to him who has appointed a manager, so that he may bring an action; indeed, if he had his own slave as a manager, he can be secure because of the actions acquired for him; but if he had either another's slave or even a free man, he will lack an action; nevertheless, he will be able to sue the manager himself or his master either on the ground of mandate or of management of affairs.
Marcellus autem ait debere dari actionem ei qui institorem praeposuit in eos, qui cum eo contraxerint
Marcellus, however, says that an action ought to be given to him who appointed the manager against those who contracted with him.

Notes

  1. §14.3.1.prut experiri possit — The ut clause functions here to express the result or the substantive content of the action (noun clause), explaining what the praetor did not do (non idem facit) regarding the employer, namely "so that he might be able to bring an action."
  2. §14.3.1.pradquisitis sibi actionibus — An ablative absolute expressing cause ("since actions have been acquired for him") or means ("by means of the actions acquired for him"). Because the acts of one's own slave directly acquire rights for the master, the master is legally secure.
  3. §14.3.1.pruel mandati uel negotiorum gestorum — Genitives with the word actio (action) understood, indicating the basis of the lawsuit (conuenire): "either by an action on mandate or on management of affairs." This refers to indirect legal remedies when a direct action is unavailable.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §14.3.1.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:14.3.1.pr

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.