Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §39.5.32.pr

Free Housing Permission and Revocation by Heirs

Passage 6247 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

On the question of whether heirs can revoke a free housing permit granted by Lucius Titius in a letter, it is replied that the heirs have the right to change the will and bar the occupant from the premises.

[SCAEUOLA libro quinto responsorum. ] §39.5.32.prLucius Titius epistulam talem misit: 'ille illi salutem.
[SCAEUOLA, from the fifth book of Opinions.] Lucius Titius sent the following letter: "So-and-so to So-and-so, greeting.
hospitio illo quamdiu uolueris utaris superioribus diaetis omnibus gratuito, idque te ex uoluntate mea facere hac epistula notum tibi facio': quaero an heredes eius habitatione eum prohibere possunt.
You may use that lodging, with all the upper rooms, free of charge, as long as you wish; and I make it known to you by this letter that you are doing so by my will." I ask whether his heirs can prohibit him from the habitation.
respondit secundum ea, quae proponerentur, heredes eius posse mutare uoluntatem.
He replied that, according to the facts proposed, his heirs could change the will.

Notes

  1. §39.5.32.prille illi salutem — A standard epistolary greeting formula where the nominative and dative pronouns ille and illi stand in place of specific names, with the verb dicit omitted ("So-and-so [sends] greeting to So-and-so").
  2. §39.5.32.prutaris — Second-person singular present subjunctive of the deponent verb utor (which governs the ablative), here functioning as an independent subjunctive of permission or concession ("you may use").
  3. §39.5.32.pran ... possunt — An indirect question clause introduced by quaero an, but using the present indicative possunt instead of the classical standard subjunctive possint. This usage is characteristic of colloquial or later Latin syntax.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §39.5.32.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:39.5.32.pr

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