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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §39.4.12.pr-39.4.12.3

Liability of Tax-Farmers for Wrongs Committed by Household

Passage 6211 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpian cites the praetorian edict designed to restrain the audacity of tax-farmers and their households, establishing the strict liability of the master when the illicit objects or perpetrators are not produced. He further defines the legal scope of the 'household' (familia) and the term 'tax-farmers' (publicani).

[ULPIANUS libro trigensimo octauo ad edictum. ] §39.4.12.prQuantae audaciae, quantae temeritatis sint publicanorum factiones, nemo est qui nesciat.
[ULPIAN, on the Edict, Book XXXVIII.] There is no one who does not know how great is the audacity and how great the recklessness of the factions of tax-farmers.
idcirco praetor ad compescendam eorum audaciam hoc edictum proposuit: §39.4.12.1'Quod familia publicanorum furtum fecisse dicetur, item si damnum iniuria fecerit et id ad quos ea res pertinet non exhibetur: in dominum sine noxae deditione iudicium dabo'. §39.4.12.2Familiae autem appellatione hic seruilem familiam contineri sciendum est.
Therefore, the praetor proposed this edict to restrain their audacity: 'In regard to what the household of tax-farmers shall be said to have committed theft, likewise if they have caused damage unlawfully, and that which pertains to the matter is not produced to those whom it concerns: I will grant an action against the master without the option of noxal surrender.' Now, it must be understood that by the term 'household' (familia), a household of slaves is included here.
sed et si bona fide publicano alienus seruus seruit, aeque continebitur: fortassis et mala fide, plerumque enim uagi serui et fugitiui in huiusmodi operis etiam a scientibus habentur.
But even if another's slave serves a tax-farmer in good faith, he will equally be included; and perhaps also in bad faith, for commonly wandering and fugitive slaves are employed in this kind of work, even by those who know of their status.
ergo et si homo liber seruiat, hoc edictum locum habet.
Therefore, even if a free person is serving, this edict has application.
§39.4.12.3Publicani autem dicuntur, qui publica uectigalia habent conducta.
Those are called tax-farmers (publicani) who have the public taxes leased to them.

Notes

  1. §39.4.12.prQuantae audaciae, quantae temeritatis — Genitives of quality (description) functioning as predicate adjectives with the verb 'sint' in the indirect question.
  2. §39.4.12.1Quod familia ... dicetur — 'Quod' is a conjunction meaning 'with respect to the fact that' or 'as to', establishing the scope or premise of the praetorian edict.
  3. §39.4.12.1sine noxae deditione — In standard cases of delicts committed by slaves, the master could escape personal liability by surrendering the slave (noxal surrender). Here, this option is denied to strictly hold tax-farmers accountable, forcing the master to pay full damages directly.
  4. §39.4.12.2et si homo liber seruiat — 'et si' introduces a concessive clause ('even if'), indicating that the edict applies to hold the employer liable even when the person serving is actually a free person (acting as a slave).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §39.4.12.pr-39.4.12.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:39.4.12.pr-39.4.12.3

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