Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §39.5.24.pr

Surety Defense in Excessive Donation Promises

Passage 6239 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text states that a surety for a debtor who promised an amount exceeding the legal limit for a gift must be granted a defense, even against the debtor's will, to prevent the surety from suffering loss if the debtor is insolvent.

[IAUOLENUS libro quarto decimo ex Cassio. ] §39.5.24.prFideiussori eius, qui donationis causa pecuniam supra modum legis promisit, exceptio dari debet etiam inuito reo, ne, si forte reus soluendo non fuerit, pecuniam fideiussor amittat.
[JAVOLENUS, in the fourteenth book on Cassius.] A defense ought to be granted to the surety of one who, for the sake of a gift, has promised money beyond the limit of the law, even against the will of the principal debtor, lest, if by chance the principal debtor should not be solvent, the surety should lose the money.

Notes

  1. §39.5.24.pretiam inuito reo — An ablative absolute construction formed by the adjective `inuito` and the noun `reo` (referring to the principal debtor), meaning "even against the will of the principal debtor." Although a defense is typically granted for the benefit of the principal debtor, this passage establishes that for the protection of the surety, the defense must be allowed even if the debtor is unwilling to raise it.
  2. §39.5.24.prsoluendo non fuerit — The dative of the gerund `soluendo` combined with the verb `esse` (here in the future perfect `fuerit`) is an idiomatic expression `soluendo esse`, meaning "to be solvent" or "to be able to pay." Here, its negation (`non fuerit`) indicates a state of insolvency.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §39.5.24.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:39.5.24.pr

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