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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §21.2.73.pr

Eviction of Dowry Land by Wife's Heir and Fraud Defense

Passage 3154 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses whether the heir of a deceased wife can dispute the ownership of dowry lands based on her own independent right, and whether she faces liability for eviction or can be barred by the defense of fraud.

[PAULUS libro septimo responsorum. ] §21.2.73.prSeia fundos Maeuianum et Seianum et ceteros doti dedit: eos fundos uir Titius uir Seia sine controuersia possedit: post mortem deinde Seiae Sempronia heres Seiae quaestionem pro praedii proprietate facere instituit: quaero, cum Sempronia ipsa sit heres Seiae, an iure controuersiam facere possit.
[PAULUS, Book 7 of Responses.] Seia gave the Maeuvian, Seian, and other tracts of land as a dowry; Titius the husband, husband of Seia, possessed these tracts without dispute. Then, after the death of Seia, Sempronia, the heir of Seia, began to raise a dispute regarding the ownership of the land. I ask, since Sempronia herself is the heir of Seia, whether she can lawfully raise a dispute.
Paulus respondit iure quidem proprio, non hereditario Semproniam, quae Seiae de qua quaeritur heres exstitit, controuersiam fundorum facere posse, sed euictis praediis eandem Semproniam heredem Seiae conueniri posse: uel exceptione doli mali summoueri posse.
Paulus answered that Sempronia, who stood as heir to the Seia in question, can indeed raise a dispute over the lands by her own right, not by hereditary right; but if the estates are evicted, the same Sempronia can be sued as the heir of Seia, or she can be barred by the defense of fraud.

Notes

  1. §21.2.73.pruir Titius uir Seia — The phrase "uir Seia" is likely a textual corruption (perhaps for uxoris Seiae or uir Seiae), but contextually it is interpreted to mean "Titius, the husband of Seia."
  2. §21.2.73.priure quidem proprio, non hereditario — Distinction between the nature of the rights held by Sempronia. It indicates that she is not barred if she claims "by her own independent right (iure proprio), and not by hereditary right (iure hereditario)" derived from the deceased.
  3. §21.2.73.preuictis praediis — Ablative absolute expressing a conditional circumstance: "if the estates are evicted" (i.e., if the lands are recovered from the current possessor as a result of her lawsuit).
  4. §21.2.73.prconueniri posse: uel exceptione doli mali summoueri posse — Accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction governed by the subject accusative Semproniam (eandem Semproniam heredem Seiae). "conueniri" is a passive infinitive meaning "to be sued/summoned as a defendant," and "summoueri" is also passive, meaning "to be barred/dismissed (by an exception)."

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §21.2.73.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:21.2.73.pr

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