Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §30.1.4.pr-30.1.4.1

Mistake in Naming Legacies and Interpretation of Heirs

Passage 4600 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section explains that while a mistake in the proper name of an estate does not invalidate a bequest, a fundamental error in a general category (like furniture for clothing) does, and addresses how a legacy phrased for certain heirs applies to all.

[IDEM libro quinto ad Sabinum. ] §30.1.4.prSi quis in fundi uocabulo errauit et Cornelianum pro Semproniano nominauit, debebitur Sempronianus: sed si in corpore errauit, non debebitur.

[THE SAME, Book 5 on Sabinus.] If anyone has made a mistake in the name of a land and has named the Cornelian instead of the Sempronian, the Sempronian will be due; but if he has made a mistake in the identity of the object, it will not be due.

quod si quis, cum uellet uestem legare, suppellectilem adscribsit, dum putat suppellectilis appellatione uestem contineri, Pomponius scribsit uestem non deberi, quemadmodum si quis putet auri appellatione electrum uel aurichalcum contineri uel, quod est stultius, uestis appellatione etiam argentum contineri.

But if anyone, wishing to bequeath clothing, has written down furniture, thinking that clothing is included under the term "furniture", Pomponius wrote that the clothing is not due, just as if anyone should think that electrum or brass is included under the term "gold", or, what is sillier, that even silver is included under the term "clothing".

rerum enim uocabula immutabilia sunt, hominum mutabilia.

For the names of things are immutable, but those of men are mutable.

§30.1.4.1Si quis heredes instituerit et ita legauerit: 'quisquis mihi Gallicanarum rerum heres erit, damnas esto dare', ab omnibus heredibus uideri legatum, quoniam ad omnes eos res Gallicanae pertinent.

If anyone has appointed heirs and has bequeathed thus: "whoever shall be my heir to my Gallic property, let him be under obligation to give", the legacy is considered to be from all the heirs, because the Gallic property belongs to all of them.

Notes

30.1.4.prrerum enim uocabula immutabilia sunt, hominum mutabilia — A contrast between "uocabula rerum" (the names of things, meaning general categorical terms like "clothing" or "furniture") and "uocabula hominum" (the names of men, meaning proper names of persons or individual estates). The former have an objectively fixed semantic range in society (immutabilia) and cannot be unilaterally altered by subjective intent. The latter are mutable (mutabilia); hence, a mistake in a proper name can be corrected if the physical identity is clear, whereas a mistake in a categorical noun amounts to a "mistake in substance" (error in corpore) and renders the bequest void.
30.1.4.1damnas esto dare — A traditional formulaic imperative used in a legacy by condemnation (legatum per damnationem), meaning "let him be under obligation to give." Instead of directly transferring ownership to the legatee (proprietary effect), this formulation imposes a personal obligation or debt upon the heirs to perform the transfer (obligatory effect).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §30.1.4.pr-30.1.4.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:30.1.4.pr-30.1.4.1

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.