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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §2.1.3.pr

Division of Imperium and Definition of Jurisdiction

Passage 242 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpian divides imperium into pure imperium (the power of the sword for punishment) and mixed imperium (which includes jurisdiction and consists in granting possession of property), and further defines jurisdiction as the power to appoint a judge.

[ULPIANUS libro secundo de officio quaestoris. ] §2.1.3.prImperium aut merum aut mixtum est.
[ULPIAN, On the Office of Quaestor, Book Two.] Imperium is either pure or mixed.
merum est imperium habere gladii potestatem ad animaduertendum facinorosos homines, quod etiam potestas appellatur.
Pure imperium is to have the power of the sword for punishing criminal men, which is also called potestas.
mixtum est imperium, cui etiam iurisdictio inest, quod in danda bonorum possessione consistit.
Mixed imperium is that which also includes jurisdiction, and which consists in granting the possession of property.
iurisdictio est etiam iudicis dandi licentia.
Jurisdiction is also the power of appointing a judge.

Notes

  1. §2.1.3.prmerum est imperium habere — The infinitive phrase habere... functions appositively as the subject or predicate with the copula est, meaning 'pure imperium is to have...'.
  2. §2.1.3.prad animaduertendum facinorosos homines — The gerundive construction with ad expresses purpose. Here, animaduertere takes a direct accusative facinorosos homines, rather than the more common intransitive use with the preposition in.
  3. §2.1.3.priudicis dandi licentia — A gerundive construction in the genitive modifying the noun licentia. It is synonymous with the gerund construction iudicem dandi, meaning 'the power (or permission) of appointing a judge'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §2.1.3.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:2.1.3.pr

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