[ULPIANUS libro primo ad Sabinum. ] §28.5.1.prQui testatur ab heredis institutione plerumque debet initium facere testamenti.
[ULPIANUS, from the first book on Sabinus.] A person who makes a will must generally begin his will with the institution of an heir.
licet etiam ab exheredatione, quam nominatim facit: nam diuus Traianus rescripsit posse nominatim etiam ante heredis institutionem filium exheredare.
It is also permitted to begin with a disinheritance, which he makes by name; for the deified Trajan wrote in a rescript that a son can be disinherited by name even before the institution of an heir.
§28.5.1.1Institutum autem heredem eum quoque dicimus, qui scriptus non est, sed solummodo nuncupatus.
Moreover, we also call him an instituted heir who has not been written down, but only named orally.
§28.5.1.2Mutus et surdus recte heres institui potest.
A mute and deaf person can be lawfully instituted as an heir.
§28.5.1.3Qui neque legaturus quid est neque quemquam exheredaturus, quinque uerbis potest facere testamentum, ut dicat: 'Lucius Titius mihi heres esto': haec autem scriptura pertinet ad eum qui non per scripturam testatur.
He who is neither going to leave any legacy nor going to disinherit anyone can make a will in five words, by saying: 'Lucius Titius mihi heres esto' (Let Lucius Titius be my heir). However, this wording applies to him who does not make a will through writing.
qui poterit etiam tribus uerbis testari, ut dicat: 'Lucius heres esto': nam et 'mihi' et 'Titius' abundat.
He will also be able to make a will in three words, by saying: 'Lucius heres esto' (Let Lucius be heir); for both 'mihi' and 'Titius' are superfluous.
§28.5.1.4Si ex fundo fuisset aliquis solus institutus, ualet institutio detracta fundi mentione.
If someone had been instituted alone as heir from a specific estate, the institution is valid, with the mention of the estate being disregarded.
§28.5.1.5Si autem sic scribat: 'Lucius heres', licet non adiecerit 'esto', credimus plus nuncupatum, minus scriptum: et si ita: 'Lucius esto', tantundem dicimus: ergo et si ita: 'Lucius' solummodo.
But if he should write thus: 'Lucius heres' (Lucius heir), even though he has not added 'esto' (be), we believe that more was spoken, less was written; and if thus: 'Lucius esto' (Lucius be), we say the same; therefore also if thus: 'Lucius' only.
Marcellus non insuptiliter non putat hodie hoc procedere.
Marcellus not insignificantly thinks that today this does not hold.
diuus autem Pius, cum quidam portiones inter heredes distribuisset ita: ille ex 'parte tota, ille ex tota' nec adiecisset 'heres esto', rescripsit ualere institutionem: quod et Iulianus scripsit.
However, the deified Pius, when a certain person had distributed portions among his heirs thus: 'he from the whole part, he from the whole,' and had not added 'heres esto' (be heir), wrote in a rescript that the institution was valid; which Julian also wrote.
§28.5.1.6Item diuus Pius rescripsit 'illa uxor mea esto' institutionem ualere, licet deesset 'heres'.
Likewise, the deified Pius wrote in a rescript that the institution 'illa uxor mea esto' (let that woman be my wife) is valid, although 'heres' (heir) was missing.
§28.5.1.7Idem Iulianus 'illum heredem esse', non putauit ualere, quoniam deest aliquid: sed et ipsa ualebit subaudito 'iubeo'.
The same Julian did not think that 'illum heredem esse' (that he be heir) was valid, because something is missing; but even this will be valid with 'iubeo' (I order) being understood.