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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §4.2.8.pr-4.2.8.3

Application of Duress to Threats of Death, Rape, and Status

Passage 645 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus argues that the edict for restoration on the ground of fear applies to transfers of property made under the fear of death, sexual assault, suppression of status documents, or threats directed at one's children.

[PAULUS libro undecimo ad edictum. ] §4.2.8.prIsti quidem et in legem Iuliam incidunt, quod pro conperto stupro acceperunt.
[PAUL, On the Edict, book 11] Indeed, these persons also fall under the Lex Julia, because they accepted [the property] for discovered adultery.
praetor tamen etiam ut restituant interuenire debet: nam et gestum est malo more, et praetor non respicit, an adulter sit qui dedit, sed hoc solum, quod hic accepit metu mortis illato.
The praetor, however, ought to intervene also so that they restore it; for not only was it done contrary to good morals, but also the praetor does not look to whether the one who gave is an adulterer, but only to this, that the latter accepted it by bringing to bear the fear of death.
§4.2.8.1Si is accipiat pecuniam, qui instrumenta status mei interuersurus est nisi dem, non dubitatur quin maximo metu conpellat, utique si iam in seruitutem petor et illis instrumentis perditis liber pronuntiari non possum.
If someone who is going to suppress the documents of my status unless I give should accept money, there is no doubt that he compels by the greatest fear, especially if I am already being sued for servitude and cannot be declared free if those documents are lost.
§4.2.8.2Quod si dederit ne stuprum patiatur uir seu mulier, hoc edictum locum habet, cum uiris bonis iste metus maior quam mortis esse debet.
But if a man or a woman should give [something] lest they suffer sexual violation, this edict has place, since for good persons that fear ought to be greater than death.
§4.2.8.3Haec, quae diximus ad edictum pertinere, nihil interest in se quis ueritus sit an in liberis suis, cum pro affectu parentes magis in liberis terreantur.
In these things which we have said pertain to the edict, it makes no difference whether someone feared for himself or for his children, since by reason of affection parents are more terrified in the person of their children.

Notes

  1. §4.2.8.1petor — The first-person singular present passive indicative of the verb `petere` (to claim, sue). The phrase `in seruitutem petor` means "I am claimed into slavery," which refers to a civil lawsuit brought against someone living as a free person to claim them as a slave.
  2. §4.2.8.3in se quis ueritus sit an in liberis suis — The preposition `in` with the ablative (`se`, `liberis suis`) indicates the object or scope of the fear ("with respect to oneself or with respect to one's children"). Together with the disjunctive conjunction `an`, it forms an indirect question acting as the subject (or core dependent clause) of the impersonal expression `nihil interest` ("it makes no difference").

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §4.2.8.pr-4.2.8.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:4.2.8.pr-4.2.8.3

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