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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §33.5.18.pr

Inefficacy of Rejecting a Specific Slave and Option Right

Passage 5037 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This chunk presents the opinion of Neratius that in the bequest of an unspecified slave, a premature rejection of a specific slave (Pamphilus) is of no legal effect, and therefore he can still be chosen.

[SCAEUOLA libro tertio decimo quaestionum. ] §33.5.18.prHomine legato Neratius ait nihil agi repudiato Pamphilo itaque eum ipsum eligi posse.
[SCAEVOLA, Book XIII of Questions.] When a slave is bequeathed, Neratius says that nothing is accomplished by the rejection of Pamphilus, and therefore he himself can be chosen.

Notes

  1. §33.5.18.prHomine legato — Ablative absolute. Here *homo* refers to a slave in general, implying a generic bequest of an unspecified slave where a selection must be made.
  2. §33.5.18.prrepudiato Pamphilo — Ablative absolute expressing concession ("even though Pamphilus has been rejected") or condition, discussing the validity of rejecting a specific option individually.
  3. §33.5.18.prnihil agi — An accusative with infinitive clause dependent on the main verb *ait*, with *nihil* as subject and *agi* (present passive infinitive of *ago*) as predicate. Literally "nothing is being done," meaning "it has no legal effect" or "it is void."
  4. §33.5.18.preum ipsum eligi posse — The second accusative with infinitive clause connected by *itaque* and still dependent on *ait*. *eum ipsum* (referring to Pamphilus) serves as the subject of the passive infinitive *eligi* (from *eligo*) with the governing infinitive *posse*.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §33.5.18.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:33.5.18.pr

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