Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §38.1.49.pr

Simultaneous Provision of Services to Two Patrons

Passage 5934 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains, by citing Neratius, a case in which a freedman with two patrons can simultaneously and fully perform different services (such as copying books and guarding a house) for each of them.

[GAIUS libro singulari de casibus. ] §38.1.49.prDuorum libertus potest aliquo casu singulis diuersas operas uno tempore in solidum edere, ueluti si librarius sit et alii patrono librorum scribendorum operas edat, alter uero peregre cum suis proficiscens operas custodiae domus ei indixerit: nihil enim uetat, dum custodit domum, libros scribere.
[GAIUS, On Singular Cases, in one book.] A freedman of two patrons can in a certain case render different services to each of them at the same time in full, as for instance if he is a copyist and renders to one patron the services of copying books, while the other, departing abroad with his household, has enjoined upon him the services of guarding his house; for nothing prevents him from writing books while he is guarding the house.
hoc ita Neratius libris membranarum scripsit.
Neratius wrote this in his Books on Parchments.

Notes

  1. §38.1.49.prin solidum — A legal adverbial phrase meaning "in full" or "completely." Here it indicates that the freedman can perform the services fully for both patrons at the same time, rather than dividing his time in half between them.
  2. §38.1.49.prlibrorum scribendorum — A genitive plural gerundive construction modifying the noun `operas`, establishing the meaning "services of writing/copying books."
  3. §38.1.49.pralii... alter... — Although "one... the other..." of two parties is typically expressed by `alter... alter...`, here `alii` (dative of `alius`) and `alter` are used contrastively to refer to the two patrons respectively.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §38.1.49.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:38.1.49.pr

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