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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §33.3.5.pr

Validity of Bequeathing a Servitude to Another's Slave

Passage 5000 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This passage states the general rule that a bequest to another's slave is valid only if it would be valid if made to a free person, illustrating this with the invalidity of bequeathing a right of way to a slave for their master's land.

[PAPINIANUS libro sexto decimo quaestionum. ] §33.3.5.prEtsi maxime testamenti factio cum seruis alienis ex persona dominorum est, ea tamen quae seruis relinquuntur ita ualent, si liberis relicta possent ualere: sic ad fundum domini uia seruo frustra legatur.
[PAPINIANUS, in the sixteenth book of Questions.] Although the capacity to take under a will in relation to other people's slaves is derived especially from the person of their masters, nevertheless, what is bequeathed to slaves is valid only if it could be valid if it had been bequeathed to free persons. Thus, a right of way to a master's land is bequeathed to a slave in vain.

Notes

  1. §33.3.5.prtestamenti factio — Here, 'testamenti factio' refers to the capacity to take under a will (testamenti factio passiva) rather than the capacity to make a will (testamenti factio activa). Since another's slave acquires property for their master, this capacity is said to be derived from the master's person.
  2. §33.3.5.prliberis — This is the dative plural of the substantivized adjective 'liber' (free person), not the dative/ablative plural of the noun 'liberi' (children). The contrast with 'seruis' (slaves) confirms its meaning as 'free persons'.
  3. §33.3.5.prsi liberis relicta possent ualere — The participle 'relicta' functions within the conditional clause, referring back to the neuter plural 'ea'. Combined with 'possent ualere' in the subjunctive imperfect, it forms a contrary-to-fact conditional construction: 'if they could be valid had they been bequeathed to free persons.'

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §33.3.5.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:33.3.5.pr

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