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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §22.1.21.pr

Justifiable Delay and the Absence of Default

Passage 3181 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpian explains that delays based on reasonable grounds, such as requiring friends' presence to settle debts or request sureties, or raising an exception, do not constitute legal default (mora).

[ULPIANUS libro trigesimo quarto ad edictum. ] §22.1.21.prSciendum est non omne, quod differendi causa optima ratione fiat, morae adnumerandum: quid enim si amicos adhibendos debitor requirat uel expediendi debiti uel fideiussoribus rogandis? uel exceptio aliqua allegetur? mora facta non uidetur,
[ULPIANUS, from his thirty-fourth book on the Edict.] It must be known that not everything which is done for the sake of delaying with an excellent reason is to be counted as delay: for what if the debtor should require friends to be called in, either for the purpose of settling the debt or for requesting sureties? Or if some exception should be alleged? Delay is not deemed to have occurred,

Notes

  1. §22.1.21.prmorae — A dative of direction or classification depending on the gerundive `adnumerandum` (from `adnumerare`, "to reckon among"). Thus, `morae adnumerandum [esse]` means "to be counted as delay".
  2. §22.1.21.prexpediendi debiti uel fideiussoribus rogandis — These two gerundive phrases connected by `uel... uel...` show an asymmetrical case construction: the former is in the genitive (implying an omitted `causa`), while the latter is in the ablative (or dative of purpose). Despite the grammatical asymmetry, both function coordinately to express the purpose of calling in friends: "to settle the debt" or "to request sureties".

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §22.1.21.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:22.1.21.pr

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