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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.1.21.pr

Husband's Solvency and Manumission of Dowry Slaves

Passage 6315 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains that a solvent husband can manumit a dowry slave during marriage, but if he is insolvent, the manumission is barred even without other creditors, as the dowry is regarded as a debt during the marriage.

[IDEM libro tertio decimo responsorum. ] §40.1.21.prSeruum dotalem uir qui soluendo est constante matrimonio manumittere potest: si autem soluendo non est, licet alios creditores non habeat, libertas serui impedietur, ut constante matrimonio deberi dos intellegatur.
[THE SAME, in the thirteenth book of Opinions.] A husband who is solvent can manumit a dowry slave during the marriage; but if he is insolvent, even though he has no other creditors, the freedom of the slave will be prevented, so that the dowry is understood to be owed during the marriage.

Notes

  1. §40.1.21.prsoluendo est — A legal idiom meaning "to be solvent." The dative of the gerundive/gerund `soluendo` is used with `esse` to denote capability or fitness for payment.
  2. §40.1.21.prut constante matrimonio deberi dos intellegatur — A clause introduced by the conjunction `ut` indicating consequence or explanation. If the husband is insolvent, even during the marriage (`constante matrimonio`), the dowry (`dos`) is understood to be a debt (`deberi`), which prevents the manumission of the slave to protect the wife's interest as a creditor.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.1.21.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.1.21.pr

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