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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §33.5.9.pr-33.5.9.2

Mutual Conditional Bequests and Slaves with Conditional Freedom

Passage 5028 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Julian states that mutual conditional bequests function as a standard alternative bequest, and discusses whether a slave under a conditional grant of freedom is included in a bequest of choice, and how the bequest becomes valid if the condition fails.

[IULIANUS libro trigesimo secundo digestorum. ] §33.5.9.prCum ita legatur: 'Titio Stichum do lego, si Pamphilum non elegerit: eidem Titio Pamphilum, si Stichum non elegerit', simile est, atque si ita legatum fuisset: 'Titio Stichum aut Pamphilum, utrum eorum uolet, do 'lego'.
[JULIAN, Digest, Book XXXII] When it is bequeathed thus: 'I give and bequeath Stichus to Titius, if he has not chosen Pamphilus; and to the same Titius, Pamphilus, if he has not chosen Stichus', it is the same as if it had been bequeathed thus: 'I give and bequeath to Titius Stichus or Pamphilus, whichever of them he wants'.
§33.5.9.1Quaesitum est, si Stichus sub condicione liber esse iussus sit et mihi optio serui data esset uel seruus generaliter legatus esset, quid iuris esset.
It was asked, if Stichus has been ordered to be free under a condition, and the choice of a slave has been given to me, or a slave has been bequeathed in general terms, what the law would be.
dixi commodius constitui eum, qui sub condicione libertatem Sticho det et optionem seruorum, non cogitare de Sticho, sicuti constat non cogitare eum de eo, cui praesentem libertatem dederit: secundum quod si Stichum optauero uel elegero, nihil agam et ex ceteris nihilo minus optabo.
I said that it is more convenient to hold that he who gives freedom to Stichus under a condition and also the choice of slaves does not think of Stichus, just as it is established that he does not think of him to whom he has given immediate freedom; according to which, if I choose Stichus, I shall effect nothing, and I shall nonetheless choose from the rest.
§33.5.9.2In eodem casu quaesitum est, si optione seruorum data, antequam optarem, condicio statutae libertatis defecisset, an Stichum optare possim.
In the same case, it was asked, if after the choice of slaves was given, but before I made my choice, the condition of the prescribed freedom had failed, whether I could choose Stichus.
puto Mucianae sententiae adsentiendum, qua placet ipsa libertate legatum peremi, non datione statutae libertatis: quare siue uiuo testatore siue post mortem eius et ante aditam hereditatem condicio statutae libertatis defecerit, legatum erit utile: nam sicut pura libertas, ita statuta libertas aditae hereditatis tempore uires accipit.
I think we should agree with the opinion of Mucius, which holds that a legacy is extinguished by freedom itself, not by the granting of prescribed freedom; therefore, whether the condition of the prescribed freedom failed during the lifetime of the testator, or after his death and before the inheritance was accepted, the legacy will be valid; for just as unconditional freedom, so prescribed freedom takes effect at the time the inheritance is accepted.
ideoque Stichum optare possum.
And therefore I can choose Stichus.

Notes

  1. §33.5.9.1dixi commodius constitui eum... non cogitare de Sticho — An accusative with infinitive construction serving as the object of dixi. The subject of the passive infinitive constitui is the following accusative with infinitive clause eum ... non cogitare ('that he does not think...'). The pronoun eum is modified by the relative clause starting with qui and refers to the testator.
  2. §33.5.9.2peremi — This spelling is found in the manuscripts, which in this context must be interpreted as the present passive infinitive perimi ('to be extinguished' or 'to be voided').
  3. §33.5.9.2aditae hereditatis tempore — Meaning 'at the time the inheritance is accepted.' The word aditae is the perfect passive participle of the verb adeo ('to enter upon' or 'to accept'), in the genitive case modifying hereditatis, which together modify the ablative of time tempore.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §33.5.9.pr-33.5.9.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:33.5.9.pr-33.5.9.2

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