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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §33.5.12.pr

Option and Agreement of Co-heirs in Legacy of a Slave

Passage 5031 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains that when a slave is bequeathed in general terms and the heirs hold the option, they must deliver the same slave, and if they cannot agree, they are held liable under the testament.

[IDEM libro primo ex Minicio. ] §33.5.12.prSeruo generaliter legato uerius est omnes heredes, si eis electio data est, eundem dare debere: si non consentiant heredes, ex testamento eos teneri.
[THE SAME, Book I on Minicius.] When a slave is bequeathed in general terms, it is more correct that all the heirs, if the choice has been given to them, must give the same slave; if the heirs do not agree, they are liable under the testament.

Notes

  1. §33.5.12.prSeruo generaliter legato — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun `seruo` and the participle `legato`. It describes the situation of a "general legacy" (*legatum generale*), where a slave is bequeathed as a class or genus (i.e., "a slave") rather than as a specific individual.
  2. §33.5.12.prex testamento eos teneri — The second clause in the accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction governed by `uerius est`, with `eos` (the heirs) as the subject accusative and `teneri` (passive infinitive) as the predicate. It means that if the co-heirs do not reach an agreement and the legacy is unfulfilled, they will be held liable under the testament (i.e., they can be sued by the legatee via the *actio ex testamento*).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §33.5.12.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:33.5.12.pr

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