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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §32.0.55.pr-32.0.55.10

Definition of Firewood in Legacies and Distinction from Timber

Passage 4879 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses the definition of 'firewood' (lignum) in legacies, distinguishing it from 'timber' (materia), and examines what is included under this term (such as uncut trees, reeds, papyrus, vine-roots, charcoal-wood, and pine-cones) based on the views of various jurists.

[ULPIANUS libro uicesimo quinto ad Sabinum. ] §32.0.55.prLigni appellatio nomen generale est, sed sic separatur, ut sit aliquid materia, aliquid lignum.
[ULPIANUS libro uicesimo quinto ad Sabinum.] The term 'firewood' (lignum) is a general name, but it is so distinguished that some is timber (materia) and some is firewood (lignum).
materia est, quae ad aedificandum fulciendum necessaria est, lignum, quidquid conburendi causa paratum est.
Timber is that which is necessary for building or propping up; firewood is whatever has been prepared for the purpose of burning.
sed utrum ita demum, si concisum sit an et si non sit? et Quintus Mucius libro secundo refert, si cui ligna legata essent, quae in fundo erant, arbores quidem materiae causa succisas non deberi: nec adiecit, si non comburendi gratia succisae sunt, ad eum pertinere, sed sic intellegi consequens est.
But does this apply only if it has been cut up, or also if it has not? And Quintus Mucius reports in his second book that if firewood which was on an estate has been bequeathed to someone, trees indeed cut down for the purpose of timber are not due; nor did he add that they belong to him if they were cut down for a purpose other than burning, but it follows that they should be so understood.
§32.0.55.1Ofilius quoque libro quinto iuris partiti ita scripsit, cui ligna legata sunt, ad eum omnia ligna pertinere, quae alio nomine non appellantura, ueluti uirgae carbones nuclei oliuarum, quibus ad nullam aliam rem nisi ad comburendum possit uti: sed et balani uel si qui alii nuclei.
Ofilius also wrote in the fifth book of his 'Partition of Law' that to whomsoever firewood is bequeathed, there belongs all wood which is not called by another name, such as twigs, charcoal, olive stones, which can be used for no other purpose than for burning; and also acorns or any other stones.
§32.0.55.2Idem libro secundo negat arbores nondum concisas, nisi quae minutatim conciduntur, uideri ei legatas, cui ligna legata sunt.
The same writer in his second book denies that trees not yet cut up, unless they are such as are cut up into small pieces, are deemed to be bequeathed to him to whom firewood has been bequeathed.
ego autem arbitror hoc quoque ligni appellatione contineri, quod nondum minutatim fuit concisum, si iam concidendo fuit destinatum.
I, however, think that this also is contained under the term 'firewood', which has not yet been cut into small pieces, if it has already been destined for cutting.
proinde si siluam huic rei habebat destinatam, silua quidem non cedet, deiectae autem arbores lignorum appellatione continebuntur, nisi aliud testator sensit.
Accordingly, if he had a wood destined for this purpose, the wood itself indeed will not pass, but the felled trees will be contained under the term 'firewood', unless the testator intended otherwise.
§32.0.55.3Lignis autem legatis quod comburendi causa paratum est continetur, siue ad balnei calefactionem siue diaetarum hypocaustarum siue ad calcem uel ad aliam rem coquendam solebat uti.
When firewood is bequeathed, that which has been prepared for the purpose of burning is contained, whether he was accustomed to use it for heating a bath, or for hypocaust apartments, or for burning lime or cooking any other thing.
§32.0.55.4Ofilius libro quinto iuris partiti scripsit nec sarmenta ligni appellatione contineri: sed si uoluntas non refragatur, et uirgulae et gremia et sarmenta et superamenta materiarum et uitium stirpes atque radices continebuntur.
Ofilius wrote in the fifth book of his 'Partition of Law' that brushwood is not contained under the term 'firewood'; but if the intention does not oppose it, small twigs, bundles of firewood, brushwood, surpluses of timber, and the trunks and roots of vines will be contained.
§32.0.55.5Lignorum appellatione in quibusdam regionibus, ut in Aegypto, ubi harundine pro ligno utuntur, et harundines et papyrum comburitur et herbulae quaedam uel spinae uel uepres continebuntur, quid mirum? cum ξύλον hoc et naues ξυληγάς appellant, quae haec ἀπὸ τῶν ἑλῶν deducunt.
Under the term 'firewood' in certain regions, as in Egypt, where they use reeds instead of wood, both reeds and papyrus that is burned, and certain small herbs or thorns or briars will be contained, and what wonder? Since they call this ξύλον and call the ships which bring these from the marshes ξυληγάς.
§32.0.55.6In quibusdam prouinciis et editu bubum ad hanc rem utuntur.
In certain provinces they also use the dung of cattle for this purpose.
§32.0.55.7Si lignum sit paratum ad carbones coquendas atque conficiendas, ait Ofilius libro quinto iuris partiti carbonum appellatione huiusmodi materiam non contineri: sed an lignorum? et fortassis quis dicet nec lignorum: non enim lignorum gratia haec testator habuit.
If wood is prepared for burning and making charcoal, Ofilius says in the fifth book of his 'Partition of Law' that material of this kind is not contained under the term 'charcoal'; but is it under 'firewood'? And perhaps someone will say not even under 'firewood', for the testator did not hold these for the sake of firewood.
sed et titiones et alia ligna cocta ne fumum faciant utrum ligno an carboni an suo generi adnumerabimus? et magis est, ut proprium genus habeatur.
But as for brand-ends and other wood prepared so as not to make smoke, shall we class them as firewood, or charcoal, or as their own genus? And it is more correct that they be held as a proper genus.
§32.0.55.8Sulpurata quoque de ligno aeque eandem habebunt definitionem.
Sulphur-matches made of wood will likewise have the same definition.
§32.0.55.9Ad faces quoque parata non erunt lignorum appellatione comprehensa, nisi haec fuit uoluntas.
Also what is prepared for torches will not be comprehended under the term 'firewood', unless this was the intention.
§32.0.55.10De pinu autem integri strobili ligni appellatione continebuntur.
But in the case of the pine, entire pine-cones will be contained under the term 'firewood'.

Notes

  1. §32.0.55.prsi non comburendi gratia succisae sunt — There are two interpretations of how non functions. One is to take non comburendi gratia as a single phrase ('for a purpose other than burning'), but this is difficult to reconcile logically with the main clause nec adiecit ... ad eum pertinere ('nor did he add that they belong to him'). In contrast with the preceding arbores quidem materiae causa succisas non deberi ('trees cut down for timber are not due'), it is most natural to understand it by supplying the omitted contrast: si non [materiae causa, sed] comburendi gratia succisae sunt ('if they were cut down, not [for timber, but] for the sake of burning'). Thus, Ulpian means that although Mucius did not explicitly state that they belong to the legatee if they were not for timber (but for burning), it naturally follows that they do.
  2. §32.0.55.6editu bubum — editu is the ablative singular of the fourth-declension noun editus, -us (derived from the perfect passive participle of the verb edo, meaning 'what is brought forth or excreted'), here referring to 'dung' or 'excrement'. bubum is the genitive plural of bos (cow/ox), which is an archaic or dialectal variant instead of the standard form boum or bovum.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §32.0.55.pr-32.0.55.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:32.0.55.pr-32.0.55.10

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