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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §29.1.11.pr-29.1.11.2

Wills of Condemned Soldiers and Those of Uncertain Status

Passage 4370 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text regulates the testamentary method of those condemned to death for a military crime, and explains the validity and scope of testaments made by soldiers with uncertainties regarding their status or their father's survival.

[IDEM libro quadragensimo quinto ad edictum. ] §29.1.11.prEx militari delicto capite damnatis testamentum facere licet super bonis dumtaxat castrensibus: sed utrum iure militari an iure communi, quaeritur.
[THE SAME, in his forty-fifth book on the Edict.] Those condemned to death for a military crime are allowed to make a testament only with respect to their camp property; but it is questioned whether this is by military law or by common law.
magis autem est, ut iure militari eis testandum sit: nam cum ei quasi militi tribuatur ius testandi, consequens erit dicere iure militari ei testandum.
However, it is more correct that they must make their testaments according to military law; for since the right of making a testament is granted to him as if to a soldier, it will follow that we should say he must make his testament under military law.
quod ita intellegi oportet, si non sacramenti fides rupta sit.
This must be understood in this way only if the allegiance of the military oath has not been broken.
§29.1.11.1Si miles incertus, an sui iuris sit, testamentum fecerit, in ea condicione est testamentum eius, ut ualeat: nam et si incertus, an pater suus uiuat, testamentum fecerit, testamentum eius ualebit.
If a soldier who is uncertain whether he is independent (sui iuris) makes a testament, his testament is in such a condition that it is valid; for even if he makes a testament being uncertain whether his father is alive, his testament will be valid.
§29.1.11.2Si filius familias ignorans patrem suum decessisse de castrensi peculio in militia testatus sit, non pertinebunt ad heredem eius patris bona, sed sola castrensia:
If a son-in-power, not knowing that his father has died, makes a testament while on military service regarding his camp peculium, the property of his father will not belong to his heir, but only the camp property;

Notes

  1. §29.1.11.prmagis autem est, ut — The impersonal expression `magis est ut` (it is rather the case that, it is more correct that) takes the subjunctive (here `testandum sit`) to indicate a preferred opinion among alternatives.
  2. §29.1.11.prei testandum — This is an impersonal passive construction using the neuter gerundive `testandum` of the intransitive verb `testor`, where the dative `ei` functions as the dative of agent, expressing the obligation or necessity for him to make a testament.
  3. §29.1.11.1incertus, an sui iuris sit — The adjective `incertus` governs an indirect question clause introduced by `an` with the subjunctive (`sit` and the subsequent `uiuat`).
  4. §29.1.11.2ignorans patrem suum decessisse — The present participle `ignorans` (not knowing) governs an accusative and infinitive (AcI) construction consisting of the accusative `patrem suum` and the perfect infinitive `decessisse`.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §29.1.11.pr-29.1.11.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:29.1.11.pr-29.1.11.2

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