Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §18.1.12.pr

Parties Whose Intent Is Relevant to Mistakes in Sales

Passage 2600 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

It states that in determining mistakes in sales, the mental state of the actual contracting party (such as a slave or a son in power) must be considered, rather than that of the person who acquires the legal rights from the contract.

[POMPONIUS libro trigesimo primo ad Quintum Mucium. ] §18.1.12.prIn huiusmodi autem quaestionibus personae ementium et uendentium spectari debent, non eorum, quibus adquiritur ex eo contractu actio: nam si seruus meus uel filius qui in mea potestate est me praesente suo nomine emat, non est quaerendum, quid ego existimem, sed quid ille qui contrahit.
[POMPONIUS, in the thirty-first book on Quintus Mucius.] In questions of this kind, however, the persons of the buyers and sellers must be regarded, and not of those for whom an action is acquired from that contract; for if my slave, or a son who is in my power, should buy in his own name in my presence, we must not ask what I thought, but what he thought who contracted.

Notes

  1. §18.1.12.prquibus adquiritur — The dative of the relative pronoun `quibus` functions with the passive verb `adquiritur` as a dative of reference or acquisition, showing to whom the action is acquired. The antecedent is `eorum` (of those), which limits the omitted head noun `personae` (the persons).
  2. §18.1.12.prme praesente — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the pronoun `me` and the present participle/adjective `praesente`, expressing the attendant circumstance 'in my presence'.
  3. §18.1.12.prnon est quaerendum, quid ego existimem, sed quid ille qui contrahit — An impersonal passive periphrastic conjugation expressing obligation. The clause `quid ego existimem` is an indirect question with the subjunctive `existimem`, functioning as the subject. In the clause following `sed`, the gerundive phrase `quaerendum est` and the subjunctive verb `existimet` are omitted.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §18.1.12.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:18.1.12.pr

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