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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §2.14.22.pr

Pact to Spare Only the Debtor and Exclusion of the Surety

Passage 388 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpian introduces an exception to the rule that the debtor's agreement benefits the surety, stating that if it was specifically agreed to spare only the principal debtor while holding the surety liable, the surety cannot use the exception.

[ULPIANUS libro quarto ad edictum. ] §2.14.22.prnisi hoc actum est, ut dumtaxat a reo non petatur, a fideiussore petatur: tunc enim fideiussor exceptione non utetur.
[ULPIANUS, On the Edict, book 4] unless it was intended that, while no claim is made against the principal debtor, a claim may be made against the surety; for in that case, the surety will not use the exception.

Notes

  1. §2.14.22.prnisi — Introduces an exceptional condition to the general rule stated at the end of the previous fragment (Paulus, 2.14.21.5) that the agreement 'will benefit the sureties (proficiet)'. It functions as a direct qualification to Paulus's statement.
  2. §2.14.22.prhoc actum est, ut — The demonstrative pronoun hoc is explained by the appositive ut-clause containing two coordinated virtual passive verbs (non petatur and petatur). Here, agere (actum est) is used in the sense of 'to intend' or 'to agree upon' during negotiations.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §2.14.22.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:2.14.22.pr

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