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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §18.1.13.pr

Seller's Non-Liability when Principal Knows despite Agent's Ignorance

Passage 2601 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses that even if an agent buys without knowledge, the seller is not liable under the action on purchase if the principal has knowledge of the fact.

[IDEM libro nono ad Sabinum. ] §18.1.13.prSed si seruo meo uel ei cui mandauero uendas sciens fugitiuum illo ignorante, me sciente, non teneri te ex empto uerum est.
[THE SAME, in the ninth book on Sabinus.] But if you, knowing it to be a runaway slave, should sell him to my slave or to one whom I have commissioned, while he is ignorant but I am aware of it, it is true that you are not held liable under the action on purchase.

Notes

  1. 18.1.13.prillo ignorante, me sciente — Two ablative absolute constructions are placed in contrast. `illo` (ablative) refers back to the immediate buyer (the slave or the delegate) mentioned in the dative `seruo meo uel ei`. `me` (ablative) refers to 'me', the master or principal who acquires the rights.
  2. 18.1.13.prnon teneri te ex empto — An accusative-with-infinitive construction functioning as the subject of `uerum est`. `te` is the subject accusative, and `teneri` is the passive present infinitive. `ex empto` refers to being held liable under the action on purchase (*actio ex empto*).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §18.1.13.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:18.1.13.pr

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