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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §3.4.10.pr

Municipal Agents for Work Notice and Stipulations

Passage 571 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text explains that an agent of a municipality can be appointed for the notification of new work and entering into stipulations, and details the granting of a beneficial action to the administrator if security is given to the agent.

[PAULUS libro primo manualium. ] §3.4.10.prConstitui potest actor etiam ad operis noui nuntiationem et ad stipulationes interponendas, ueluti legatorum, damni infecti, iudicatum solui, quamuis seruo potius ciuitatis caueri debeat: sed et si actori cautum fuerit, utilis actio administratori rerum ciuitatis dabitur.
[PAULUS, in the first book of Manuals.] An agent can be appointed also for the purpose of the notification of a new work and for entering into stipulations, such as those regarding legacies, threatened damage, and the payment of a judgment, although security ought rather to be given to a slave of the municipality; but even if security has been given to the agent, a beneficial action will be granted to the administrator of the affairs of the municipality.

Notes

  1. §3.4.10.prstipulationes interponendas — A gerundive construction expressing purpose, governed by the preposition ad: "for the purpose of entering into stipulations."
  2. §3.4.10.prseruo potius ciuitatis caueri debeat — A passive impersonal construction (caueri debeat) of the verb caueo (to give security, guarantee), with seruo ciuitatis as the dative object: "although security ought rather to be given to a slave of the municipality." This reflects the legal background where municipalities typically acquired rights under formal verbal contracts (stipulations) through their slaves rather than through free agents.
  3. §3.4.10.prcautum fuerit — The passive impersonal perfect (here future perfect) of caueo, taking the dative actori: "if security has been given to the agent."
  4. §3.4.10.prutilis actio — Refers to a "beneficial action" (utilis actio) granted by the praetor as an equitable remedy, since under strict civil law (ius ciuile) the rights arising from a stipulation entered into by an agent would not automatically vest in the municipality.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §3.4.10.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:3.4.10.pr

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