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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §18.2.1.pr

Standard Terms of the Clause for a Better Offer

Passage 2670 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus presents the standard formulation of the 'agreement for a better offer' (in diem addictio), which allows a sale to be cancelled if a better offer is made within a specified period.

[PAULUS libro quinto ad Sabinum. ] §18.2.1.prIn diem addictio ita fit: 'ille fundus centum esto tibi emptus, nisi si quis intra kalendas Ianuarias proximas meliorem condicionem fecerit, quo res a domino abeat. '
[PAULUS, on Sabinus, book 5.] An agreement for better offer is made as follows: 'Let that estate be bought by you for one hundred, unless someone makes a better offer before the next Kalends of January, whereby the property may depart from the owner.'

Notes

  1. §18.2.1.presto tibi emptus — The verb 'esto' is the future imperative third-person singular of 'esse'. 'tibi' is a dative of agent with the perfect passive participle 'emptus', forming a formulaic legal expression: 'let it be bought by you'.
  2. §18.2.1.prquo res a domino abeat — The relative 'quo' functions as a conjunction of purpose (equivalent to 'ut eo'), taking the subjunctive 'abeat'. It expresses that, through the purchase, the property (res) departs from the original owner (domino, i.e., the seller) and transfers to the buyer.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §18.2.1.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:18.2.1.pr

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