[MODESTINUS libro duodecimo pandectarum. ] §38.10.4.prNon facile autem, quod ad nostrum ius attinet, cum de naturali cognatione quaeritur, septimum gradum quis excedit, quatenus ultra eum fere gradum rerum natura cognatorum uitam consistere non patitur.
[MODESTINUS libro duodecimo pandectarum.] However, as far as our law is concerned, when it is asked concerning natural kinship, no one easily exceeds the seventh degree, insofar as the nature of things almost does not permit the life of relatives to continue beyond that degree.
§38.10.4.1Cognati ab eo dici putantur, quod quasi una communiterue nati uel ab eodem orti progenitiue sint.
"Cognates" are thought to be so called from this, because they are, as it were, born together or in common, or sprung or begotten from the same source.
§38.10.4.2Cognationis substantia bifariam apud Romanos intellegitur: nam quaedam cognationes iure ciuili, quaedam naturali conectuntur, nonnumquam utroque iure concurrente et naturali et ciuili copulatur cognatio.
The substance of kinship is understood in two ways among the Romans: for some kinships are connected by civil law, some by natural law; sometimes, with both laws concurring, kinship is joined by both natural and civil law.
et quidem naturalis cognatio per se sine ciuili cognatione intellegitur quae per feminas descendit, quae uolgo liberos peperit.
And indeed, natural kinship by itself, without civil kinship, is understood as that which descends through females, or that of a woman who has given birth to children out of wedlock.
ciuilis autem per se, quae etiam legitima dicitur, sine iure naturali cognatio consistit per adoptionem.
On the other hand, civil kinship by itself, which is also called statutory, exists without natural law through adoption.
utroque iure consistit cognatio, cum iustis nuptiis contractis copulatur.
Kinship exists by both laws when it is joined by contracting a lawful marriage.
sed naturalis quidem cognatio hoc ipso nomine appellatur: ciuilis autem cognatio licet ipsa quoque per se plenissime hoc nomine uocetur, proprie tamen adgnatio uocatur, uidelicet quae per mares contingit.
But indeed natural kinship is called by this very name; while civil kinship, although it too by itself is most fully called by this name, is nevertheless properly called agnation, namely, that which occurs through males.
§38.10.4.3Sed quoniam quaedam iura inter adfines quoque uersantur, non alienum est hoc loco de adfinibus quoque breuiter disserere.
But since certain rights also concern affines, it is not out of place to discuss briefly about affines in this place as well.
adfines sunt uiri et uxoris cognati, dicti ab eo, quod duae cognationes, quae diuersae inter se sunt, per nuptias copulantur et altera ad alterius cognationis finem accedit: namque coniungendae adfinitatis causa fit ex nuptiis.
Affines are the relatives of a husband and of a wife, so called from the fact that two kinships, which are different from each other, are joined through marriage, and one approaches the boundary of the other's kinship; for the cause of joining affinity arises from marriage.
§38.10.4.4Nomina uero eorum haec sunt: socer socrus, gener nurus, nouerca uitricus, priuignus priuigna.
Indeed, their names are these: socer, socrus, gener, nurus, nouerca, uitricus, priuignus, priuigna.
§38.10.4.5Gradus autem adfinitati nulli sunt.
But there are no degrees for affinity.
§38.10.4.6Et quidem uiri pater uxorisque socer, mater autem eorum socrus appellatur, cum apud Graecos proprie uiri pater ἑκγρός, mater uero ἑκγρά uocitetur, uxoris autem pater πενθερός et mater πενθερά uocatur.
And indeed, the husband's father and the wife's father is called socer, while their mother is called socrus; whereas among the Greeks, specifically, the husband's father is called ἑκγρός and his mother ἑκγρά, but the wife's father is called πενθερός and her mother πενθερά.
filii autem uxor nurus, filiae uero uir gener appellatur.
But a son's wife is called nurus, and a daughter's husband is called gener.
uxor liberis ex alia uxore natis nouerca dicitur, matris uir ex alio uiro natis uitricus appellatur: eorum uterque natos aliunde priuignos priuignasque uocant.
A wife is called nouerca to children born from another wife; a mother's husband is called uitricus to children born from another husband; each of them calls the children born from elsewhere priuigni and priuignae.
potest etiam sic definiri. socer est uxoris meae pater, ego illius sum gener: socer magnus dicitur uxoris meae auus, ego illius sum progener: et retro pater meus uxoris meae socer est, haec illi nurus: et auus meus uxoris meae socer magnus est, illa illi pronurus.
It can also be defined thus: socer is my wife's father, and I am his gener; my wife's grandfather is called socer magnus, and I am his progener; and conversely, my father is my wife's socer, and she is his nurus; and my grandfather is my wife's socer magnus, and she is his pronurus.
item prosocrus mihi uxoris meae auia est, ego illius sum progener: et retro mater mea uxoris meae socrus est, illa huic nurus: et auia mea uxoris meae socrus magna est et uxor mea illi pronurus est.
Likewise, my prosocrus is my wife's grandmother, and I am her progener; and conversely, my mother is my wife's socrus, and she is her nurus; and my grandmother is my wife's socrus magna, and my wife is her pronurus.
priuignus est uxoris meae filius ex alio uiro natus, ego illi sum uitricus: et in contrarium uxor mea liberis, quos ex alia uxore habeo, nouerca dicitur, liberi mei illi priuigni.
A priuignus is my wife's son born from another husband, and I am his uitricus; and on the contrary, my wife is called nouerca to the children whom I have from another wife, and my children are priuigni to her.
uiri frater leuir.
A husband's brother is leuir.
is apud Graecos Δαήρ appellatur, ut est apud Homerum relatum: sic enim Helena ad Hectorem dicit:Δᾶερ ἐμεῖο κγνός κακομηχάνου ὀκργοέσσης.
This is called daer among the Greeks, as is related in Homer; for so Helen says to Hector: 'O brother-in-law of me, a mischievous and chilling dog.'
uiri soror glos dicitur, apud Graecos rάλως.
A husband's sister is called glos, and among the Greeks rάλως.
duorum fratrum uxores ianitrices dicuntur, apud Graecos εἰνάτερες.
The wives of two brothers are called ianitrices, among the Greeks εἰνάτερες.
quod uno uersu idem Homerus significat: ἠέ τινες Γαλόων ἢ εἰπατέρων ἐγπέπλων.
Which the same Homer indicates in one verse: 'or any of the husband's sisters or the brothers' wives, beautifully robed.'
§38.10.4.7Hos itaque inter se, quod adfinitatis causa parentium liberorumque loco habentur, matrimonio copulari nefas est.
Therefore, since by reason of affinity they are held in the place of parents and children, it is unlawful for these to be joined to one another in marriage.
§38.10.4.8Sciendum est neque cognationem neque adfinitatem esse posse, nisi nuptiae non interdictae sint, ex quibus adfinitas coniungitur.
It must be known that neither kinship nor affinity can exist unless the marriage from which the affinity is joined is not prohibited.
§38.10.4.9Libertini libertinaeque inter se adfines esse possunt.
Freedmen and freedwomen can be affines among themselves.
§38.10.4.10In adoptionem datus aut emancipatus quascumque cognationes adfinitatesque habuit, retinet, adgnationis iura perdit.
A person given in adoption or emancipated retains whatever kinships and affinities he had, but loses the rights of agnation.
sed in eam familiam, ad quam per adoptionem uenit, nemo est illi cognatus praeter patrem eosue, quibus adgnascitur: adfinis autem ei omnino in ea familia nemo est.
But in that family to which he comes through adoption, no one is a relative to him except the father or those to whom he becomes agnated; but absolutely no one is an affine to him in that family.
§38.10.4.11Is cui aqua et igni interdictum est aut aliquo modo capite deminutus est ita, ut libertatem et ciuitatem amitteret, et cognationes et adfinitates omnes, quas ante habuit, amittit.
He who has been interdicted from water and fire, or has been in some way deprived of civil status in such a way that he lost liberty and citizenship, loses both all kinships and all affinities which he had before.