Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §3.6.7.pr-3.6.7.2

Actions and Recovery for Money Paid to Prevent Harassment

Passage 627 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses the rights to claim return of money and bring a fourfold action when money is paid to prevent trouble, depending on authorization or ratification, as well as cases involving sons-in-power and tax-collectors.

[PAULUS libro decimo ad edictum. ] §3.6.7.prSi quis ab alio acceperit pecuniam ne mihi negotium faciat, si quidem mandatu meo datum est, uel a procuratore meo omnium rerum, uel ab eo qui negotium meum gerere uolebat et ratum habui: ego dedisse intellegor.
[PAULUS, on the Edict, book 10] If anyone has accepted money from another so that he may not cause trouble to me, if indeed it was given by my mandate, or by my general procurator, or by one who wished to manage my affair and whose act I ratified: I am understood to have given it.
si autem non mandatu meo alius ei licet misericordiae causa dederit ne fiat neque ratum habui, tunc et ipsum repetere et me in quadruplum agere posse.
But if, not by my mandate, another has given it to him (even if for the sake of compassion) so that it may not happen, and I have not ratified it, then both he himself can sue for its return and I can bring an action for fourfold.
§3.6.7.1Si ut filio familias negotium fieret acceptum est, etiam patri actio danda est.
If money has been accepted so that trouble might be caused to a son-in-power, an action must also be given to the father.
item si filius familias pecuniam acceperit, ut faceret negotium uel non faceret, in ipsum iudicium dabitur: et si alius non meo mandatu ei dederit ne fiat, tunc etiam ipsum repetere et me in quadruplum agere posse.
Likewise, if a son-in-power has accepted money in order to cause or not to cause trouble, an action shall be given against him himself; and if another, not by my mandate, has given it to him so that it might not happen, then both he himself can sue for its return and I can bring an action for fourfold.
§3.6.7.2Cum publicanus mancipia retineret dataque ei pecunia esset quae non deberetur, et ipse ex hac parte edicti in factum actione tenetur.
When a tax-collector detained slaves and money was paid to him which was not owed, he himself also is held by an action on the facts under this part of the Edict.

Notes

  1. §3.6.7.prne mihi negotium faciat — The phrase 'negotium facere' is an idiomatic expression meaning to cause legal trouble, harassment, or threaten with litigation. Combined with the conjunction 'ne', it expresses a negative purpose: 'so that he may not cause trouble to me'.
  2. §3.6.7.prtunc et ipsum repetere et me in quadruplum agere posse — The main verb (such as 'respondendum est' or 'puto') that would govern the accusative and infinitive (AcI) construction is omitted. The accusative subjects 'ipsum' (the third party who gave the money) and 'me' (the principal) function as the subjects of their respective infinitives 'repetere' and 'agere'. 'In quadruplum' means 'for fourfold' or 'in quadruple amount'.
  3. §3.6.7.1ut filio familias negotium fieret acceptum est — The 'ut' clause expresses purpose, and 'acceptum est' is an impersonal passive. Literally, 'if it was accepted so that trouble might be caused to a son-in-power'. Since a son-in-power (filius familias) lacks full proprietary capacity, the action (actio) must be granted to the father (pater familias).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §3.6.7.pr-3.6.7.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:3.6.7.pr-3.6.7.2

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.