Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §33.7.5.pr

Differences in Wording for Legacies of Land and Equipment

Passage 5062 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Regarding the legal difference in the wording of a bequest, Labeo argues that there is no difference among three expressions, whereas Paulus counterargues that a difference does exist based on whether the equipment can still be bequeathed if the estate itself is alienated.

[LABEO libro primo πιθaνῶν a Paulo epitomatorum. ] §33.7.5.prSi cui fundum et instrumentum eius legare uis, nihil interest, quomodo leges 'fundum cum instrumento' an 'fundum et instrumentum' an 'fundum instructum'.

[From Labeo's *Plausibilities*, Book 1, epitomized by Paulus.] If you wish to bequeath an estate and its equipment to someone, it makes no difference how you word the bequest: 'the estate with the equipment', or 'the estate and the equipment', or 'the equipped estate'.

PAULUS. immo contra: nam inter ea legata hoc interest, quod, si fundo alienato mortuus fuerit qui ita legauit, ex hac scriptura 'fundum cum instrumento' nihil erit legatum, ex ceteris poterit instrumentum esse legatum.

PAULUS: On the contrary; for there is this difference between those bequests, namely, if the person who made the bequest in such a manner dies after the estate has been alienated, nothing will have been bequeathed under this phrasing 'the estate with the equipment', whereas under the other phrasings the equipment can still be bequeathed.

Notes

33.7.5.prcui — The dative form of the indefinite pronoun aliquis (alicui), shortened to cui after the conditional conjunction si.
33.7.5.prfundo alienato — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun fundus and the participle alienatus, expressing a condition ('if the estate has been alienated') or temporal sequence.
33.7.5.prex ceteris — In contrast to the preceding ex hac scriptura, the feminine plural ablative scripturis is understood to be omitted after ceteris. This fits the context of comparing formulas of wording better than interpreting it as a neuter plural referring to ceteris legatis (from other bequests).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §33.7.5.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:33.7.5.pr

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