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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §23.2.54.pr

Prohibition of Marriage with Illegitimate Relatives

Passage 3360 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

It explains that whether relationship arises from lawful marriage or not makes no difference, as marrying even a sister born out of wedlock is prohibited.

[SCAEUOLA libro primo regularum. ] §23.2.54.prEt nihil interest, ex iustis nuptiis cognatio descendat an uero non: nam et uolgo quaesitam sororem quis uetatur uxorem ducere.
[SCAEVOLA, in his first book of Rules.] And it makes no difference whether the relationship descends from a lawful marriage or not: for anyone is forbidden to marry even a sister born out of wedlock.

Notes

  1. §23.2.54.prex iustis nuptiis cognatio descendat an uero non — An indirect question clause introduced by an, serving as the logical subject of the impersonal verb interest. The verb descendat is in the present subjunctive due to the indirect question.
  2. §23.2.54.pruolgo quaesitam — A combination of the adverb uolgo ('commonly, publicly') and quaesitam, the feminine accusative of the perfect passive participle of quaerere ('to acquire, procreate'). In legal terminology, it refers to a child born out of lawful wedlock (illegitimate).
  3. §23.2.54.prquis uetatur — The indefinite pronoun quis ('anyone') acts as the subject of the passive verb uetatur ('is forbidden'), expressing a universal prohibition ('anyone is forbidden to...'). The infinitive phrase uxorem ducere ('to marry') complements uetatur.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §23.2.54.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:23.2.54.pr

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