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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §37.3.1.pr

Possession of an Insane Heir and Protection of Substitute

Passage 5727 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The passage discusses the running of the period for claiming possession of goods in the case of a madman, the effect of a curator's inaction, and the conditions and security requirements for a substitute heir to receive possession if the curator refuses it.

[PAPINIANUS libro quinto decimo quaestionum. ] §37.3.1.prFurioso Titius substitutus est: bonorum possessionis tempus, quamdiu furiosus in eadem condicione est, neque instituto neque substituto cedit.
[PAPINIANUS, book 15 of Questions.] Titius has been substituted for a madman: as long as the madman remains in the same condition, the period for claiming possession of goods runs neither for the instituted heir nor for the substitute.
nec, si curator furiosi nomine possessionem accipere potest, idcirco spatium temporis, quod scientibus praefinitum est, uidebitur cedere: nam et pater infanti filio possessionem accipit, quo tamen cessante infaus non excluditur.
Nor, if the curator can accept possession in the name of the madman, will the space of time which is prescribed for those who are aware be deemed to run for that reason: for a father also accepts possession for an infant son, yet if he fails to act, the infant is not excluded.
quid ergo, si curator accipere nolit? nonne iustius atque utilius erit ad eundem modum proximo cuique possessionem dari, ne bona iaceant? quo admisso substitutus cautionem praestare cogitur omnibus his, quibus bona restitui debent, si forte institutus in eodem furore decesserit aut compos mentis effectus ante mortem obierit, quam hereditatem agnosceret.
What then, if the curator is unwilling to accept? Will it not be more just and useful that possession be given in the same manner to each next in succession, so that the goods do not lie vacant? If this is admitted, the substitute is compelled to provide security to all those to whom the goods ought to be restored, if by chance the instituted heir should die in the same state of madness, or, having recovered his senses, should die before he accepted the inheritance.
nam et fieri potest, ut uiuo furioso substitutus decedat nec tamen furiosus obstet ceteris, si prius et ipse decesserit, quam hereditatem adquireret.
For it can also happen that, while the madman is alive, the substitute dies, and yet the madman does not stand in the way of the others, if he himself also dies before he acquired the inheritance.

Notes

  1. §37.3.1.prcedit — The third-person singular present indicative of the verb *cedere*. Here, it is used in a technical legal sense meaning 'to run' or 'to be counted' of a legal period or deadline.
  2. §37.3.1.prquo cessante — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the ablative of the relative pronoun *quo* (referring back to *pater*) and the ablative present participle *cessante* of the verb *cessare*, meaning 'he failing to act' or 'if he does nothing.'
  3. §37.3.1.prante... quam — A separated form (tmesis) of the conjunction *antequam* ('before'), split into *ante* and *quam* around the verb *obierit*. The following verb *agnosceret* is in the imperfect subjunctive.
  4. §37.3.1.pruiuo furioso — An ablative absolute consisting of the adjective *uiuo* and the noun *furioso*, where the present participle (such as *existente*) is omitted. It denotes an attendant circumstance: 'while the madman is alive.'

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §37.3.1.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:37.3.1.pr

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