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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §29.3.4.pr

Praetor's Duty to Summon Witnesses to Verify Seals

Passage 4506 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains that it is the praetor's duty, when opening a will for the first time, to summon the signers to verify their own seals.

[ULPIANUS libro quinquagesimo ad edictum. ] §29.3.4.prCum ab initio aperiendae sint tabulae, praetoris id officium est, ut cogat signatores conuenire et sigilla sua recognoscere
[ULPIAN, book 50 on the edict] When the tablets are to be opened at the very beginning, it is the duty of the praetor to compel the signers to assemble and recognize their own seals.

Notes

  1. §29.3.4.praperiendae sint — This is a passive periphrastic conjugation consisting of the gerundive `aperiendae` and `sint` (subjunctive present 3rd person plural), expressing necessity or obligation ("must be opened" / "are to be opened"). The subjunctive mood is triggered by the circumstantial `cum` clause.
  2. §29.3.4.prpraetoris id officium est, ut cogat — The genitive `praetoris` with the verb `est` expresses duty or role ("it is the duty of the praetor"). The pronoun `id` acts cataphorically to anticipate the `ut`-clause (`ut cogat...`), which functions as a substantive clause of purpose explaining what the duty is.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §29.3.4.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:29.3.4.pr

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