Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §36.1.5.pr

Duty of High-Ranking Persons to Restore Disgraced Trusts

Passage 5556 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Maecianus explains that no matter how high a person's social standing or authority is, they are not exempt from the obligation to restore a trust left by socially disgraced individuals, such as gladiators or prostitutes.

[MaeCIANUS libro sexto fideicommissorum. ] §36.1.5.prSed et qui magna praeditus est dignitate uel auctoritate, harenarii uel eius mulieris, quae corpore quaestum fecerit, hereditatem restituere cogetur.
[MAECIANUS from the sixth book on Trusts.] But also he who is endowed with great dignity or authority shall be compelled to restore the inheritance of a gladiator, or of that woman who has made a living with her body.

Notes

  1. §36.1.5.prqui magna praeditus est dignitate uel auctoritate — A clause introduced by the relative pronoun "qui" with an omitted antecedent (is), serving as the subject of the passive main verb "cogetur".
  2. §36.1.5.prharenarii uel eius mulieris — Both are genitives modifying "hereditatem". A gladiator (harenarius) and a prostitute (mulier quae corpore quaestum fecerit) were deemed infamous (infames) under Roman law; the text states that even those of high status cannot refuse the duty to restore a trust on account of the testators' low status.
  3. §36.1.5.prcorpore quaestum fecerit — An idiomatic expression meaning "to make a living with one's body" (to practice prostitution). The verb "fecerit" is in the perfect subjunctive (or future perfect indicative) within the relative clause.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §36.1.5.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:36.1.5.pr

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