Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §28.5.15.pr-28.5.15.1

Multiple Appointments to the Same Share and Substitution

Passage 4194 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Based on the opinion of Julian, this text explains the interpretation of a will where multiple heirs are appointed to the same half-share, and the ratio of property distribution to a substituted heir if one primary heir rejects the inheritance.

[ULPIANUS libro septimo ad Sabinum. ] §28.5.15.prIulianus quoque libro trigesimo refert, si quis ita heredem scripserit: 'Titius ex parte dimidia heres esto: Seius ex parte dimidia: ex qua parte Seium institui, ex eadem parte Sempronius heres esto', dubitari posse, utrum in tres semisses diuidere uoluit hereditatem an uero in unum semissem Seium et Sempronium coniungere: quod est uerius, et ideo coniunctim eos uideri institutos: sic fiet, ut Titius semissem, hi duo quadrantes ferant.
[ULPIANUS libro septimo ad Sabinum.] Julian also reports in his thirtieth book that, if anyone has written his heir as follows: 'Let Titius be heir for a half part; Seius for a half part; from the same part for which I appointed Seius, let Sempronius be heir', it can be doubted whether he wished to divide the inheritance into three halves, or indeed to join Seius and Sempronius in one half; which is more correct, and therefore they seem to have been appointed jointly; thus it will happen that Titius takes a half, and these two take quarters.
§28.5.15.1Idem eodem libro scripsit, si Primus ex semisse, Secundus ex semisse, si Primus heres non erit, Tertius ex dodrante substitutus sit, facti quidem quaestionem esse: uerum recte dicitur, si quidem Primus adierit, aequales partes habituros, si repudiauerit, quindecim partes futuras, ex quibus nouem quidem laturum Tertium, sex Secundum:
The same writer wrote in the same book that, if Primus is appointed for a half, Secundus for a half, and if Primus will not be heir, Tertius is substituted for three-quarters, this is indeed a question of fact; but it is rightly said that, if indeed Primus enters upon the inheritance, they will have equal parts, but if he rejects it, there will be fifteen parts, of which Tertius will take nine, and Secundus six.

Notes

  1. §28.5.15.prdubitari posse — Accusative with infinitive construction acting as the object of the verb `refert` (with the accusative subject omitted as it is indefinite). The clauses introduced by `utrum... an...` function as an indirect question subject of `dubitari`.
  2. §28.5.15.prquod est uerius — The relative pronoun `quod` takes the second part of the preceding disjunctive clause as its antecedent, namely "to join Seius and Sempronius in one half part".
  3. §28.5.15.1facti quidem quaestionem esse — An accusative and infinitive construction (`quaestionem esse`) introduced by `Iulianus... scripsit`, indicating that determining the testator's true intention is a question of fact (interpretation of intent) rather than an automatic legal determination.
  4. §28.5.15.1aequales partes habituros — An accusative and infinitive construction with `habituros (esse)`, where the subject (`Primus et Secundus`) is omitted. Since both are given a `semis` (half) in the will, the sum equals the whole (1), meaning they will hold equal shares.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §28.5.15.pr-28.5.15.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:28.5.15.pr-28.5.15.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.