Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §3.5.40.pr

Scope of Liability for Defending Another's Slave in a Noxal Action

Passage 612 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

It stipulates the scope of liability (for the whole amount, not limited to the peculium) in an action on business transacted brought by someone who defended another's slave in a noxal action without the owner's knowledge or in their absence.

[IDEM libro trigensimo ad edictum. ] §3.5.40.prQui seruum meum me ignorante uel absente in noxali causa defenderit, negotiorum gestorum in solidum mecum, non de peculio aget.

[THE SAME, On the Edict, Book XXX] He who, while I am ignorant or absent, defends my slave in a noxal action, shall bring an action on business transacted against me for the whole amount, and not to the extent of the peculium.

Notes

3.5.40.prme ignorante uel absente — Ablative absolute construction consisting of the pronoun 'me' with the present participle 'ignorante' and the adjective 'absente', functioning adverbially to indicate the circumstance: 'while I am ignorant or absent'.
3.5.40.prnegotiorum gestorum ... aget — The verb 'aget' (will bring an action) is used with the genitive phrase 'negotiorum gestorum', where the ablative noun 'actione' (by an action of...) is omitted. Additionally, it contrasts the scope of liability between 'in solidum' (for the whole amount) and 'de peculio' (to the extent of the peculium, which usually limits the master's liability for a slave's transactions).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §3.5.40.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:3.5.40.pr

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