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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §38.1.50.pr-38.1.50.1

Suitability of Services to Status and Care for Providers

Passage 5935 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Neratius argues that the rendering of services must be appropriate to the provider's status and ability, and that any service provider must be supported or allowed enough time for livelihood and physical care.

[NERATIUS libro primo responsorum. ] §38.1.50.prOperarum editionem pendere ex existimatione edentis: nam dignitati facultatibus consuetudini artificio eius conuenientes edendas.
[NERATIUS, Responsa, Book I.] The rendering of services depends on the fair judgment of the person rendering them; for those services ought to be rendered which are suitable to his dignity, ability, custom, and skill.
§38.1.50.1Non solum autem libertum, sed etiam alium quemlibet operas edentem alendum aut satis temporis ad quaestum alimentorum relinquendum et in omnibus tempora ad curam corporis necessariam relinquenda.
Moreover, not only a freedman, but also any other person rendering services, must be supported, or sufficient time must be left for him to earn his sustenance; and in all cases, the time necessary for the care of the body must be left.

Notes

  1. §38.1.50.prOperarum editionem pendere — This clause begins with an accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction where the main governing verb (such as 'respondit') is omitted, which is typical of indirect speech (Oratio Obliqua) in jurisprudential citations in the Digest.
  2. §38.1.50.prconuenientes edendas — The word 'edendas' is a feminine plural accusative gerundive, with 'esse' omitted, expressing obligation ('ought to be rendered'). Its semantic subject, the accusative 'operas', is omitted and must be supplied from the preceding 'operarum', in agreement with the present participle 'conuenientes' (also feminine plural accusative). The four dative nouns starting with 'dignitati' are governed by 'conuenientes'.
  3. §38.1.50.1alendum aut satis temporis ... relinquendum et ... relinquenda — All these are parallel gerundive constructions expressing obligation (with 'esse' omitted), but each inflects to agree with the gender and number of its respective subject. 'Alendum' (masculine singular) agrees with 'libertum... alium quemlibet'; 'relinquendum' (neuter singular) agrees with 'satis' (used as a neuter singular noun, with 'temporis' as a partitive genitive); and 'relinquenda' (neuter plural) agrees with 'tempora' (neuter plural).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §38.1.50.pr-38.1.50.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:38.1.50.pr-38.1.50.1

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