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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §30.1.8.pr-30.1.8.2

Alienation of Land and Claims in Alternative Legacies

Passage 4604 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section discusses the changes in the scope of a legacy when part of the land is alienated, the joint nature of demanding performance from alternative heirs, and the prohibition of partial selection in a legacy with alternative options.

[POMPONIUS libro secundo ad Sabinum. ] §30.1.8.prSi ex toto fundo legato testator partem alienasset, reliquam dumtaxat partem deberi placet, quia etiam si adiecisset aliquid ei fundo, augmentum legatario cederet.
[POMPONIUS, Book 2 on Sabinus.] If the testator had alienated a part of the whole estate that had been bequeathed, it is held that only the remaining part is owed, because even if he had added something to that estate, the increase would have gone to the legatee.
§30.1.8.1Si ita scriptum sit: 'Lucius Titius heres meus aut Maeuius heres meus decem Seio dato', cum utro uelit, Seius aget, ut, si cum uno actum sit et solutum, alter liberetur, quasi si duo rei promittendi in solidum obligati fuissent.
If it is written: "Let my heir Lucius Titius or my heir Maevius give ten to Seius," Seius shall sue whichever of them he wishes, so that if an action has been brought against one and payment made, the other is released, just as if two joint promisors had been bound for the whole amount.
quid ergo si ab altero partem petierit? liberum cui erit ab alterutro reliquum petere.
What then if he has demanded a part from one? It will be free for him to demand the remainder from either of them.
idem erit et si alter partem soluisset.
The same will apply if one of them has paid a part.
§30.1.8.2Si ita legatum sit: 'lecticarios octo aut pro his in homines singulos certam pecuniam, utrum legatarius uolet', non potest legatarius partem seruorum uindicare, pro parte nummos petere, quia unum in alterutra causa legatum sit, quemadmodum si olei pondo quinquaginta aut in singulas libras certum aes legatum sit: ne aliter obseruantibus etiam uno homine legato diuisio concedatur.
If a legacy is left as follows: "Eight litter-bearers, or in place of them a certain sum of money for each individual man, whichever the legatee wishes," the legatee cannot claim a part of the slaves and demand money for the other part, because a single legacy is left in either alternative, just as if fifty pounds of oil or a certain sum of bronze money for each pound had been bequeathed; otherwise, if a different rule were observed, division would be permitted even when a single slave is bequeathed.
nec interest, diuisa ea summa an iuncta ponatur: et certe octo seruis aut pro omnibus certa pecunia legata non posse inuitum heredem partem pecuniae, partem mancipiorum debere.
Nor does it matter whether that sum is expressed separately or as a whole; and it is certainly true that if eight slaves, or a certain sum of money for all of them, are bequeathed, the heir cannot, against his will, be bound to give a part in money and a part in slaves.

Notes

  1. 30.1.8.1liberum cui erit — cui is a relative pronoun used at the beginning of a clause for connection (connecting relative), in the dative case referring to the legatee Seius of the preceding sentence. It functions as the dative complement of the impersonal expression liberum erit [alicui] ("it will be free for [someone]"), meaning "it will be free for Seius to..."
  2. 30.1.8.2ne aliter obseruantibus etiam uno homine legato diuisio concedatur — A subjunctive clause introduced by ne (concedatur) indicating an undesirable consequence to be avoided. aliter obseruantibus is a present participle ("for those who observe otherwise") in the dative or ablative. uno homine legato is an ablative absolute ("even when a single slave is bequeathed") carrying a conditional force.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §30.1.8.pr-30.1.8.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:30.1.8.pr-30.1.8.2

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