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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §33.5.8.pr-33.5.8.3

Conflict of Legatee Choices and Actions for Deposited Goods

Passage 5027 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses the handling of conflicts between co-legatees regarding the choice of bequeathed slaves or bracelets, and the legal remedies for exercising choice over deposited items.

[POMPONIUS libro sexto ad Sabinum. ] §33.5.8.prSi tibi electio serui et mihi reliqui legati sunt, decernendum est a praetore, nisi intra certum tempus optaueris, petitionem tibi non datu iri. §33.5.8.1Si ex quattuor uiriolis duae, quas elegissem, mihi legatae sint, siue duae solae relictae sint siue ab initio duae solae fuerint, ualet legatum. §33.5.8.2Unius hominis mihi et tibi optio data est: cum ego optassem, si non mutassem uoluntatem, deinde tu eundem optaueris, utriusque nostrum seruum futurum: quod si ante decessissem uel furiosus factus essem, non futurum communem, quia non uideor consentire, qui sentire non possim: manius autem erit, ut et in hoc casu quasi semel electione facta fiat communis. §33.5.8.3Si rerum depositarum electio mihi relicta sit, et ad exhibendum cum eo, apud quem depositae sint, agere potero et cum herede agere, ut is depositi agendo facultatem mihi eligendi praestet.
[POMPONIUS, On Sabinus, Book VI]\n\nIf the choice of a slave is bequeathed to you, and the remaining slaves to me, the praetor must decree that, unless you make your choice within a certain time, an action will not be granted to you.\n\nIf, out of four small bracelets, two which I should choose are bequeathed to me, whether only two are left or there were only two from the beginning, the legacy is valid.\n\nThe choice of one slave is given to me and to you: when I have made my choice, if I have not changed my mind, and then you choose the same slave, he will belong to both of us. But if before that I have died or become insane, he will not become common property, because I, being unable to perceive, am not deemed to consent; however, it will be more humane that in this case also, as if the choice had been made once for all, he becomes common property.\n\nIf the choice of deposited things is bequeathed to me, I can both bring an action for production against the person with whom they were deposited, and bring an action against the heir, so that by bringing an action on deposit he may afford me the opportunity of choosing.

Notes

  1. §33.5.8.prnon datu iri — Considered a scribal error (omission of 'm') for the future passive infinitive 'non datum iri', meaning 'an action will not be granted'.
  2. §33.5.8.2manius — The manuscript reading 'manius' is understood as a corruption of either 'melius' (better) or 'humanius' (more humane/reasonable), with the latter preferred as 'it is more reasonable' in a legal context.
  3. §33.5.8.3depositi agendo — The ablative gerund 'agendo' (by bringing an action) takes the genitive noun 'depositi' (of deposit [actio depositi]), referring to the heir bringing an action on deposit against the depositary.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §33.5.8.pr-33.5.8.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:33.5.8.pr-33.5.8.3

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