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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §28.5.19.pr

Conditional Appointment of an Heir and Vacant Shares

Passage 4198 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text discusses a debate and its resolution regarding whether a person appointed as a substitute for an unappointed heir can claim a vacant share of the estate left unallocated by the testator.

[ULPIANUS libro septimo ad Sabinum. ] §28.5.19.prEx facto etiam agitatum Pomponius et Arrianus referunt, si quis uacua parte relicta ita instituerit: 'si mihi Seius heres non erit', quem non instituerat, 'Sempronius heres esto', an hic occupare possit uacantem portionem.
[ULPIANUS libro septimo ad Sabinum.] Pomponius and Arrianus report a debate arising from an actual case: if someone, having left a vacant share, has made an appointment in this way, 'If Seius will not be my heir,'—whom he had not appointed—'let Sempronius be my heir,' whether the latter can take possession of the vacant portion.
et Pegasus quidem existimat ad eam partem admitti: Aristo contra putat, quia huic pars esset data, quae nulla esset: quam sententiam et Iauolenus probat et Pomponius et Arrianus et hoc iure utimur.
And Pegasus indeed thinks that he is admitted to that share; Aristo, on the contrary, thinks not, because a share had been given to him which was non-existent. Javolenus also approves this opinion, as do Pomponius and Arrianus, and we follow this rule of law.

Notes

  1. §28.5.19.pragitatum — A perfect participle in the accusative, either as part of an infinitive clause (agitatum esse) acting as the object of referunt, or as a substantived participle meaning 'a matter debated', introducing the indirect question (an hic...).
  2. §28.5.19.prquem non instituerat — The antecedent is Seius. It explains that the testator had not appointed Seius in the first place, which creates the legal issue regarding what share Sempronius can actually claim as a substitute for him.
  3. §28.5.19.prquia huic pars esset data, quae nulla esset — huic refers to Sempronius. Since Sempronius was appointed as a substitute for Seius (who was not appointed to any share), the share allocated to Sempronius through this substitution is 'non-existent' (nulla); hence Aristo argues he cannot be admitted to the vacant portion. The subjunctives express Aristo's subjective reason in indirect discourse.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §28.5.19.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:28.5.19.pr

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