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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §29.2.76.pr-29.2.76.1

Single Entry by a Conditional Heir and Substitute

Passage 4479 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text explains that when an heir is conditionally appointed to a share and also acts as a substitute for another, a single entry of inheritance suffices for both shares, and omitting one entry does not deprive the heir of the power to decide which parts of the inheritance to claim or reject.

[IAUOLENUS libro quarto epistularum. ] §29.2.76.prSi tu ex parte sexta sub condicione institutus fuisses heres et omittente partem suam Titio, cui substitutus eras, ex substitutione adisses, deinde condicio iure sextantis exstitisset, quaero, an adire necesse habueris, ne sextans tuus intereat.
[JAVOLENUS, from the fourth book of Letters.] If you had been appointed heir to one-sixth of the estate under a condition, and, upon Titius (to whom you had been substituted) omitting his share, you had entered upon the inheritance under the substitution, and then the condition regarding the one-sixth had been fulfilled, I ask whether it was necessary for you to enter, lest your one-sixth should be lost.
respondit: nihil interest, utrum ex substitutione prius adierim an ex prima institutione, cum ab utraque causa una aditio sufficiat: sextans itaque, qui sub condicione datus mihi est, ad me solum pertinet. §29.2.76.1Item si tu sextantis, ex quo institutus esses heres, omiseris aditionem, numquid dubitas, quin ex substitutione adeundo Titianae partis habiturus partem esses? respondit: non dubito, quin, si prima institutione adeundo heres esse possim, in potestate mea sit, quam partem hereditatis aut amittere uelim aut uindicare.
He answered: "It makes no difference whether I entered first under the substitution or under the primary institution, since a single entry is sufficient for both causes; therefore, the one-sixth which was given to me under a condition belongs to me alone." Likewise, if you should have omitted the entry upon the one-sixth of which you had been appointed heir, do you have any doubt that, by entering under the substitution, you would have a share of Titius' portion? He answered: "I have no doubt that, if by entering under the primary institution I am able to be heir, it is within my power which part of the inheritance I wish either to lose or to claim."

Notes

  1. 29.2.76.promittente partem suam Titio, cui substitutus eras — The phrase 'omittente... Titio' is an ablative absolute construction with a present participle, into which the relative clause 'cui substitutus eras' is embedded, with 'cui' (dative) referring to 'Titio'. In Roman law, a substitute heir (substitutus) takes the place of the primary heir when the latter fails to accept or omits (omittere) their share.
  2. 29.2.76.1numquid dubitas, quin ex substitutione adeundo Titianae partis habiturus partem esses — A 'quin' clause with the subjunctive, responding to a question expressing doubt that implies a negative answer ('numquid dubitas', meaning 'you do not doubt, do you?'). The form 'habiturus esses' is an active periphrastic subjunctive (future participle + imperfect subjunctive of 'esse') expressing a subsequent or future outcome from a past viewpoint. 'adeundo' is an ablative of the gerund expressing means.
  3. 29.2.76.1quam partem hereditatis aut amittere uelim aut uindicare — An indirect question clause introduced by the interrogative adjective 'quam' with the subjunctive verb 'uelim'. The entire clause functions substantively as the subject or the object of control for the preceding phrase 'in potestate mea sit' (it is within my power).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §29.2.76.pr-29.2.76.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:29.2.76.pr-29.2.76.1

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