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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §38.2.17.pr

Possession of Goods for Childless Freedman's Estate

Passage 5953 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section provides that when a freedman dies without children, the patron, the patroness, and their nearest relatives can be admitted to the possession of goods at the same time.

[IDEM libro quadragensimo septimo ad edictum. ] §38.2.17.prLiberto sine liberis mortuo in primis patronus et patrona bonorum possessionem accipere possunt et quidem simul.
[THE SAME, in the forty-seventh book on the Edict.] When a freedman has died without children, in the first place the patron and patroness can receive the possession of goods, and indeed at the same time.
sed et si patrono et patronae proximi sunt aliqui, simul admittentur.
But also, if there are any who are nearest to the patron and patroness, they shall be admitted at the same time.

Notes

  1. §38.2.17.prLiberto sine liberis mortuo — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun liberto and the participle mortuo, expressing the condition for the main clause ("if/when a freedman has died"). The prepositional phrase sine liberis (without children) adjectivally modifies liberto.
  2. §38.2.17.prproximi — The masculine plural nominative form of the adjective proximus (nearest), used substantively to mean "nearest relatives (heirs)." It governs the dative patrono et patronae, referring to "those who are nearest to the patron and patroness."

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §38.2.17.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:38.2.17.pr

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