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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §28.7.27.pr-28.7.27.1

Improper Condition on Disposal of Remains and Codicils

Passage 4347 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Modestinus' opinions are presented on the status of an heir who refused to comply with an improper condition to cast the remains into the sea, choosing instead to bury them, and on the validity of adding a condition by codicil.

[MODESTINUS libro octauo responsorum. ] §28.7.27.prQuidam in suo testamento heredem scripsit sub tali condicione 'si reliquias eius in mare abiciat': quaerebatur, cum heres institutus condicioni non paruisset, an expellendus est ab hereditate.
[MODESTINUS, in the eighth book of Opinions.] A certain man in his will appointed an heir under such a condition as "if he should cast his remains into the sea." It was asked whether, since the instituted heir had not complied with the condition, he ought to be excluded from the inheritance.
Modestinus respondit: laudandus est magis quam accusandus heres, qui reliquias testatoris non in mare secundum ipsius uoluntatem abiecit, sed memoria humanae condicionis sepulturae tradidit.
Modestinus answered: The heir who did not cast the remains of the testator into the sea according to his wish, but, mindful of the human condition, committed them to burial, is to be praised rather than blamed.
sed hoc prius inspiciendum est, ne homo, qui talem condicionem posuit, neque compos mentis esset.
But this must first be looked into, whether the man who imposed such a condition was not of sound mind.
igitur si perspicuis rationibus haec suspicio amoueri potest, nullo modo legitimus heres de hereditate controuersiam facit scripto heredi.
Therefore, if this suspicion can be removed by clear reasons, the heir-at-law shall in no way raise a dispute over the inheritance against the instituted heir.
H §28.7.27.1eredi, quem testamento pure instituit, codicillis adscripsit condicionem: quaero, an ei parere necesse habeat.
To the h, whom he instituted unconditionally in his will, he added a condition by codicil: I ask whether he is under the necessity of complying with it.
Modestinus respondit: hereditas codicillis neque adimi potest: porro in defectu condicionis de ademptione hereditatis cogitasse intellegitur.
Modestinus answered: An inheritance cannot be taken away by a codicil; furthermore, in the event of the failure of the condition, he is understood to have minded the deprivation of the inheritance.

Notes

  1. §28.7.27.prmemoria humanae condicionis — The ablative noun `memoria` expresses cause ("out of respect for", "mindful of"). `humanae condicionis` is a genitive referring to the mortal condition or dignity of human beings.
  2. §28.7.27.prne... neque compos mentis esset — A `ne` clause dependent on `inspiciendum est` ("it must be looked into"), here expressing apprehension ("lest" or "whether ... not"). `neque` functions equivalently to `non`, meaning "whether he was not of sound mind."
  3. §28.7.27.1Heredi, quem testamento pure instituit, codicillis adscripsit condicionem — The indirect object `Heredi` of the verb `adscripsit` is placed at the very beginning of the sentence and is modified by the relative clause `quem testamento pure instituit`. This inversion (hyperbaton) emphasizes the heir who was originally appointed unconditionally.
  4. §28.7.27.1de ademptione hereditatis cogitasse intellegitur — `intellegitur` is used personally with the subject (the testator) understood: "he is understood to have thought of...". The implicit subject of the infinitive `cogitasse` is the testator.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §28.7.27.pr-28.7.27.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:28.7.27.pr-28.7.27.1

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