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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §37.10.13.pr

Adultery Trial of a Mother and Deferral until Puberty

Passage 5829 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Regarding the accusation of a mother for adultery, it is asked whether the inquiry should be deferred until her posthumous daughter's puberty to avoid prejudice; Paulus replies that there is no ground for delay unless an inquiry into the father's estate is instituted.

[PAULUS libro undecimo responsorum. ] §37.10.13.prTitia post mortem mariti sui postumam enixa est: eidem Titiae crimen adulterii Sempronius apud praesidem prouinciae obiecit: quaero, an in tempus pubertatis quaestio adulterii differri debeat, ne praeiudicium postumae fiat.
[PAULUS libro undecimo responsorum.] Titia gave birth to a posthumous daughter after the death of her husband. Sempronius accused the same Titia of the crime of adultery before the governor of the province. I ask whether the inquiry into adultery ought to be deferred until the age of puberty, lest a prejudice be created against the posthumous daughter.
Paulus respondit, si ei pupillae, de qua quaeritur, bonorum paternorum quaestio non moneatur, sine causa tutores desiderare adulterii quoque quaestionem in tempus pubertatis pupillae differri.
Paulus replied that if no inquiry concerning the paternal property is instituted against the female ward in question, there is no ground for the tutors to desire that the inquiry into adultery also be deferred until the puberty of the female ward.

Notes

  1. §37.10.13.prpraeiudicium postumae — The dative postumae indicates the person affected by praeiudicium (prejudice or pre-judgment). A finding of adultery against the mother would create a prejudicial ruling regarding the legitimacy and inheritance rights of the posthumous daughter.
  2. §37.10.13.prdesiderare — The infinitive serving as the main verb of the indirect speech introduced by Paulus respondit. Its subject is the accusative tutores. desiderare itself takes the accusative-with-infinitive clause (adulterii quoque quaestionem ... differri) as its object.
  3. §37.10.13.prmoneatur — The verb movere (here in the passive subjunctive moneatur) is used in a legal sense meaning to "institute", "initiate", or "bring" a lawsuit or inquiry.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §37.10.13.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:37.10.13.pr

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