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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §26.2.16.pr-26.2.16.5

Scope of Tutor Appointments for Sons or Children

Passage 3762 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpian discusses how testamentary terms such as 'sons' or 'children' are interpreted regarding their applicability to daughters, children held by the enemy, unknown children, or posthumous children born during the testator's lifetime.

[IDEM libro trigesimo nono ad Sabinum. ] §26.2.16.prSi quis ita dederit 'filiis meis tutorem do', in ea condicione est, ut tam filiis quam filiabus dedisse uideatur: filiorum enim appellatione et filiae continentur.
[THE SAME, from the thirty-ninth book on Sabinus.] If anyone has designated in this manner, "I give a tutor to my sons," it is in such a condition that he is deemed to have given him to his daughters as well as to his sons; for daughters also are included under the appellation of "sons." If anyone has given a tutor to "his son," and has several sons, is he deemed to have given him to all his sons?
§26.2.16.1Si quis filio tutorem dederit et plures filios habeat, an omnibus filiis dedisse uideatur? et de hoc Pomponius dubitat: magis autem est, ut omnibus dedisse uideatur.
Pomponius doubts on this point; however, it is more correct to hold that he is deemed to have given him to all.
§26.2.16.2Si quis liberis tutores dederit uel filiis et habeat quosdam apud hostes, etiam ipsis dedisse uidebitur, si non aliud aperte probetur testatorem sensisse.
If anyone has given tutors to his "children" or "sons," and has some of them among the enemy, he will be deemed to have given them to these as well, unless it is clearly proved that the testator intended otherwise.
§26.2.16.3Si quis cum ignoraret se filium Titium habere, filiis tutores dederit, utrum his solis dedisse uideatur, quos in potestate scit an ei quoque, quem ignorauit se habere? et magis est, ut huic dedisse non uideatur, licet nomen filiorum admittit et ipsum: sed quia de ipso non sensisset, dicendum est cessare in personam eius dationem.
If anyone, being ignorant that he had a son named Titius, has given tutors to his "sons," is he deemed to have given them only to those whom he knows to be in his power, or also to him whom he did not know he had? It is more correct to hold that he is not deemed to have given them to this one, although the name of "sons" includes him as well; but since he had not thought of him, it must be said that the designation is of no effect in regard to his person.
§26.2.16.4Proinde et si certus fuit filium decessisse, qui supererat, idem erit dicendum: nec enim uidetur ei dedisse, quem obisse credebat.
Accordingly, the same must be said even if he was certain that the son, who actually survived, had deceased; for he is not deemed to have given a tutor to one whom he believed to have died.
§26.2.16.5Si postumis dederit tutores hique uiuo nascantur, an datio ualeat? et magis est, ut utilis datio fiat etiam si uiuo eo nascantur.
If he has given tutors to posthumous children, and these are born during his lifetime, is the designation valid? It is more correct to hold that the designation becomes effective, even if they are born during his lifetime.

Notes

  1. §26.2.16.prin ea condicione est, ut ... uideatur — The `ut` clause introduces a result or explanatory (appositive) clause, specifying the concrete content of `in ea condicione` in the main clause, meaning that the designation is deemed to have been made for the daughters as well as the sons.
  2. §26.2.16.1magis autem est, ut ... uideatur — `magis est, ut...` is an impersonal expression meaning 'it is more correct to hold that...' or 'the prevailing opinion is that...', with the `ut` clause serving as the subject.
  3. §26.2.16.3cessare in personam eius dationem — An accusative with infinitive construction (subject: `dationem`, infinitive: `cessare`) dependent on the impersonal `dicendum est` (it must be said). `in personam eius` means 'with respect to his person' or 'as regards him'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §26.2.16.pr-26.2.16.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:26.2.16.pr-26.2.16.5

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