Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §28.6.8.pr-28.6.8.1

Conditions in Pupillary Substitution and Testator Intent

Passage 4280 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This chunk explains the distinction between unconditional and conditional pupillary substitutions, and establishes the rule that when certain general words are used, only those designated by the direct choice (iudicium) of the testator become substitute heirs, excluding those who succeed through intermediaries.

[ULPIANUS libro quarto ad Sabinum. ] §28.6.8.prQui liberis impuberibus substituit, aut pure aut sub condicione solet substituere.

[ULPIANUS, Book 4 on Sabinus.] He who makes a substitution for children below the age of puberty is accustomed to make the substitution either unconditionally or under a condition.

pure sic: 'si filius meus intra pubertatem decesserit, Seius heres esto': siue Seius iste heres institutus sit et impuberi substitutus, nullam habet condicionem, siue solum substitutus.

Unconditionally, thus: 'If my son dies before the age of puberty, let Seius be the heir.' Whether this Seius is instituted as heir and substituted for the impuber, or is only substituted, it has no condition.

sub condicione autem institutum si substituat, id est 'si mihi heres erit', non alias existet heres ex substitutione, nisi et ex institutione heres fuerit.

But if he should substitute someone who is instituted under a condition, that is, 'if he shall be my heir,' he will not otherwise become heir by the substitution, unless he has also been heir by the institution.

cui similis est et haec substitutio: 'quisquis mihi ex supra scriptis heres erit': habet enim in se eandem condicionem similem superiori.

To which this substitution is also similar: 'whoever of those written above shall be my heir'; for it contains in itself the same condition similar to the previous one.

H §28.6.8.1aec uerba: 'quisquis mihi heres erit, idem impuberi filio heres esto' hunc habent sensum, ut non omnis qui patri heres exstitit, sed is qui ex testamento heres exstitit substitutus uideatur: et ideo neque pater, qui per filium, neque dominus, qui per seruum exstitit, ad substitutionem admittetur, neque heredis heres, quia non ex iudicio ueniunt.

Th ese words: 'whoever shall be my heir, let the same be the heir to my impuber son,' have this meaning, that not everyone who became heir to the father, but he who became heir by the will, is deemed to be substituted: and therefore neither the father who became heir through his son, nor the master who became heir through his slave, will be admitted to the substitution, nor the heir of the heir, because they do not come from the will [of the testator].

partes quoque eaedem ad substitutos pertinent, quas in ipsius patris familias habuerunt hereditate.

Also, the same shares belong to the substituted heirs as they had in the inheritance of the paterfamilias himself.

Notes

§28.6.8.prsiue Seius iste — The correlative structure 'siue ... siue ...' shows that whether Seius is both instituted as a direct heir and substituted for the impuber, or only substituted, the substitution is unconditional ('pure') unless specified otherwise. This forms a contrast with the subsequent clause where a conditionally appointed heir is substituted.
§28.6.8.1quia non ex iudicio ueniunt — Here, 'iudicium' refers to the 'judgment', 'discretion', or 'choice' of the testator rather than a legal trial. It explains the legal ground that the father or master who became heir automatically through a son or slave, or the heir of an heir, are not admitted to the substitution because they were not directly designated by the testator's own selection.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §28.6.8.pr-28.6.8.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:28.6.8.pr-28.6.8.1

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