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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §33.2.21.pr

Conditional Alternative Bequest and Heir's Choice

Passage 4973 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains that in a conditional alternative bequest, the legatee cannot demand the unconditional part (usufruct) until the condition for the other part (ten) is either fulfilled or fails, to preserve the heir's right of choice.

[PAULUS libro septimo ad legem Iuliam et Papiam. ] §33.2.21.prTitio usus fructus Stichi aut, si nauis ex Asia uenerit, decem legata sunt.
[PAULUS, Commentary on the Lex Julia et Papia, Book VII.] To Titius, the usufruct of Stichus or, if a ship should arrive from Asia, ten was bequeathed.
non petet usum fructum, antequam condicio decem existat uel deficiat, ne potestas heredi utrum uelit dandi auferatur.
He shall not demand the usufruct before the condition of the ten is fulfilled or fails, lest the power of giving whichever he wishes be taken away from the heir.

Notes

  1. §33.2.21.prdecem — The numeral is used substantively in the neuter plural, meaning 'ten (of money)'. In Roman legal texts, currency units (such as sesterces) are frequently omitted.
  2. §33.2.21.prpetet — The future active indicative third-person singular of petere (to demand). Here, it expresses a legal prohibition or obligation ('shall not demand') rather than a mere prediction of a future event.
  3. §33.2.21.prheredi — A dative of separation (or dative of disadvantage) used with the verb auferatur (to be taken away) to indicate the person from whom something is taken.
  4. §33.2.21.prpotestas heredi utrum uelit dandi — The genitive gerund dandi modifies potestas ('the power of giving'). The indirect question clause utrum uelit ('whichever he wishes', in the subjunctive) functions as the object of the gerund dandi, forming the structure 'the power of giving whichever (the heir) wishes'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §33.2.21.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:33.2.21.pr

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