Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §21.1.12.pr-21.1.12.4

Minor Physical Defects and Criteria for Disease

Passage 3026 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text discusses the criteria for determining whether various physical conditions of a slave (such as corns, asymmetrical eyes or jaws, goiters, left-handedness, and bad breath) render them "diseased" or "defective" and thus grounds for redhibition.

[ULPIANUS libro primo ad edictum aedilium curulium. ] §21.1.12.prQui clauum habet, morbusus est: sed et polyposus.
[ULPIANUS in the first book on the edict of the curule aediles.] A person who has a corn is diseased; but so also is one with a nasal polyp.
§21.1.12.1Eum, qui alterum oculum aut alteram maxillam maiorem habet, si recte iis utatur, sanum uideri Pedius scribit: ait enim inaequalitatem maxillarum oculorum bracchiorum, si nihil ex ministerio praestando subtrahit, extra redhibitionem esse.
Pedius writes that a person who has one eye or one jaw larger than the other, if he uses them properly, is seen to be healthy; for he says that inequality of the jaws, eyes, or arms, if it detracts nothing from the service to be performed, is outside the scope of redhibition.
sed et latus uel crus breuius potest adferre impedimentum: ergo et hic erit redhibendus.
But a shorter side or leg can bring about an impediment; therefore, in this case also, he must be returned.
§21.1.12.2Si quis natura gutturosus sit aut oculos eminentes habeat, sanus uidetur.
If anyone is by nature goitrous or has protruding eyes, he is seen to be healthy.
§21.1.12.3Item sciendum est scaeuam non esse morbosum, uel uitiosum, praeterquam si imbecillitate dextrae ualidius sinistra utitur: sed hunc non scaeuam, sed mancum esse.
Likewise, it must be known that a left-handed person is not diseased or defective, except if, through weakness of the right hand, he uses the left more strongly; but such a person is not left-handed, but maimed.
§21.1.12.4Is cui os oleat an sanus sit quaesitum est: Trebatius ait non esse morbosum os alicui olere, ueluti hircosum, strabonem hoc enim ex illuuie oris accidere solere.
It was asked whether a person whose mouth smells is healthy. Trebatius says that a person's mouth smelling is not a disease, just as with a person who smells like a goat, or a cross-eyed person; for this usually happens from the filth of the mouth.
si tamen ex corporis uitio id accidit, ueluti quod iecur, quod pulmo aut aliud quid similiter dolet, morbosus est.
If, however, it happens from a bodily defect, for instance, because the liver, the lung, or something else of the kind is diseased, he is diseased.

Notes

  1. 21.1.12.1ministerio praestando — This is a gerundive construction where the gerundive `praestando` agrees with the noun `ministerio`, meaning "from the service to be performed." It refers to not causing any hindrance to the slave's work.
  2. 21.1.12.3sinistra utitur — Since the verb `utor` governs the ablative case, `sinistra` (ablative feminine singular, with `manu` understood) is placed as its object, meaning "uses the left hand."
  3. 21.1.12.4os alicui olere — This is an accusative with infinitive clause acting as the subject of `non esse morbosum` under the indirect speech introduced by `ait`. `alicui` is a dative of reference or possession, meaning "that someone's mouth smells."

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §21.1.12.pr-21.1.12.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:21.1.12.pr-21.1.12.4

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.