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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §29.1.44.pr

Special Testamentary Privileges for Deaths in Enemy Territory

Passage 4403 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

On the imperial rescripts showing that anyone, even those without military testation rights like provincial governors, can make a will in any way they can if they are caught and die in enemy territory.

[ULPIANUS libro quadragesimo quinto ad edictum. ] §29.1.44.prRescripta principum ostendunt omnes omnino, qui eius sunt gradus, ut iure militari testari non possint, si in hostico deprehendantur et illic decedant, quomodo uelint et quomodo possint, testari, siue praeses sit prouinciae siue quis alius, qui iure militari testari non potest.
[ULPIANUS, in his forty-fifth book on the Edict.] The rescripts of the emperors show that absolutely all persons who are of such a status that they cannot make a will according to military law, if they are caught in enemy territory and die there, can make a will in whatever way they wish and in whatever way they can, whether it be a governor of a province or anyone else who cannot make a will according to military law.

Notes

  1. §29.1.44.preius sunt gradus, ut — eius modifies the genitive gradus, forming a genitive of quality predicate for the relative pronoun qui ('are of such a status'). The following ut clause (with subjunctive possint) is a consecutive clause explaining the nature of that status.
  2. §29.1.44.prin hostico deprehendantur — in hostico is a substantivized neuter adjective ('in enemy territory'). deprehendantur is the present subjunctive passive of deprehendere (to catch, surprise), expressing here not merely being 'captured,' but rather being caught or overtaken by unexpected circumstances in enemy territory during a crisis.
  3. §29.1.44.promnes omnino ... testari — This forms the Accusative with Infinitive (A.C.I.) construction introduced by the main verb ostendunt. While the accusative subject is omnes omnino and the infinitive is testari, the context implies the ability to do so, as if an auxiliary meaning of capability (posse) is elliptical or inherent in testari.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §29.1.44.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:29.1.44.pr

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