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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §39.6.43.pr

Requirement of Fear of Death in Gifts mortis causa

Passage 6293 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Regarding the fear of death in donations mortis causa between spouses, Fulcinius's view requiring a highly justified fear is contrasted with Neratius's view that the donor's subjective belief of dying is sufficient, with the latter being preferred.

[NERATIUS libro primo responsorum. ] §39.6.43.prFULCINIUS: inter uirum et uxorem mortis causa donationem ita fieri, si donator iustissimum mortis metum habeat.
[NERATIUS, Opinions, Book 1.] FULCINIUS: A donation mortis causa between husband and wife is made only in this way, if the donor has a most well-founded fear of death.
NERATIUS: sufficere existimationem donantis hanc esse, ut moriturum se putet: quam iuste nec ne susceperit, non quaerendum.
NERATIUS: It is sufficient that the opinion of the donor is this, that he thinks he is going to die; and it should not be asked how justly or not he has conceived it.
quod magis tuendum est.
Which is the more to be maintained.

Notes

  1. §39.6.43.prita fieri, si — A correlative expression meaning "is made only if...", strictly limiting the condition under which the donation is valid according to Fulcinius.
  2. §39.6.43.prsufficere existimationem donantis hanc esse, ut moriturum se putet — The accusative-with-infinitive clause 'existimationem... esse' serves as the subject of 'sufficere', with the demonstrative 'hanc' explained by the appositive 'ut' clause ('ut... putet'). It structures the subjective belief of the donor ("that he thinks he is going to die") as the sufficient condition.
  3. §39.6.43.prquam iuste nec ne susceperit — An indirect question clause where 'quam' modifies the adverb 'iuste' ("how justly"). The verb 'susceperit' (to conceive or entertain a fear/opinion) is in the perfect subjunctive, dependent on the main gerundive phrase 'non quaerendum [esse]'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §39.6.43.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:39.6.43.pr

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