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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §18.6.4.pr-18.6.4.2

Risk and Tasting Delays in Wine Sales

Passage 2737 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpian discusses the allocation of risk when the tasting of sold wine is prevented by the seller's delay despite a set deadline, and explores the scope of custody and removal terms in bulk sales.

[ULPIANUS libro uicesimo octauo ad Sabinum. ] §18.6.4.prSi quis uina uendiderit et intra diem certum degustanda dixerit, deinde per uenditorem steterit, quo minus degustarentur, utrum praeteritum dumtaxat periculum acoris et mucoris uenditor praestare debet, an uero etiam die praeterito (ut, si forte corrupta sint posteaquam dies degustandi praeteriit, periculum ad uenditorem pertineat), an uero magis emptio sit soluta (quasi sub condicione uenierint, hoc est si ante diem illum fuissent degustata)? et intererit, quid actum sit: ego autem arbitror, si hoc in occulto sit, debere dici emptionem manere, periculum autem ad uenditorem respicere etiam ultra diem degustando praefinitum, quia per ipsum factum est.
[ULPIANUS, in Book 28 on Sabinus.] If anyone sells wine and declares that it must be tasted within a certain day, and then it is due to the seller that it was not tasted, should the seller be liable only for the past risk of sourness and mold, or indeed even after the day has passed (so that, if by chance it is spoiled after the day for tasting has passed, the risk belongs to the seller), or rather is the sale dissolved (as if they were sold under a condition, that is, if they had been tasted before that day)? And it will matter what was agreed upon; however, I think that if this is unclear, it should be said that the sale remains in force, but the risk remains with the seller even beyond the day prefixed for tasting, because it was caused by his own act.
§18.6.4.1Si auersione uinum uenit, custodia tantum praestanda est.
If wine is sold in bulk, only custody must be provided.
ex hoc apparet, si non ita uinum uenit, ut degustaretur, neque acorem neque mucorem uenditorem praestare debere, sed omne periculum ad emptorem pertinere: difficile autem est, ut quisquam sic emat, ut ne degustet.
From this it appears that if the wine is not sold on the terms that it should be tasted, the seller is not obliged to guarantee against either sourness or mold, but all risk belongs to the buyer; however, it is difficult for anyone to buy in such a way as not to taste.
quare si dies degustationi adiectus non erit, quandoque degustare emptor poterit et quoad degustauerit periculum acoris et mucoris ad uenditorem pertinebit: dies enim degustationi praestitutus meliorem condicionem emptoris facit.
Therefore, if no day is added for tasting, the buyer can taste at any time, and until he has tasted, the risk of sourness and mold will belong to the seller; for a day prefixed for tasting makes the buyer's condition better.
§18.6.4.2Uino autem per auersionem uendito finis custodiae est auehendi tempus.
But when wine is sold in bulk, the end of custody is the time for removal.
quod ita erit accipiendum, si adiectum tempus est: ceterum si non sit adiectum, uidendum, ne infinitam custodiam non debeat uenditor.
This is to be understood in this way if a time has been added; but if it has not been added, we must see whether the seller ought not to be bound to an indefinite custody.
et est uerius secundum ea quae supra ostendimus, aut interesse, quid de tempore actum sit, aut denuntiare ei, ut tollat uinum: certe antequam ad uindemiam fuerint dolia necessaria, debet auehi uinum.
And it is more correct, according to what we have shown above, either that it matters what was agreed concerning the time, or that notice be given to him to take away the wine; certainly, before the vats are needed for the vintage, the wine must be removed.

Notes

  1. 18.6.4.prper uenditorem steterit, quo minus — An impersonal construction 'per aliquem stat quominus' meaning 'it is due to someone that... not' or 'someone prevents... from'. Here, 'steterit' is in the subjunctive (under the conditional 'si', or functioning as a future perfect in the protasis), followed by the 'quo minus' clause expressing the prevention.
  2. 18.6.4.prsi hoc in occulto sit — Literally 'if this is in the dark/hidden.' 'This' (hoc) refers to the preceding 'what was agreed' (quid actum sit), meaning that the agreement between the parties is unclear or cannot be proved.
  3. 18.6.4.2uidendum, ne infinitam custodiam non debeat uenditor — 'uidendum [est]' ('it must be seen/considered') is followed by a 'ne' clause expressing apprehension. The addition of the negative 'non' to 'ne' creates a positive apprehension, meaning 'whether the seller ought not to be bound to an indefinite custody' (i.e., that he likely should not be bound).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §18.6.4.pr-18.6.4.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:18.6.4.pr-18.6.4.2

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