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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.2.23.pr

Fictitious Utterance in Manumission via Lictors

Passage 6343 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section explains that manumission through lictors has been simplified in daily practice, so that it is carried out even if the master remains silent and the solemn words are not spoken.

[HERMOGENIANUS libro primo iuris epitomarum. ] §40.2.23.prManumissio per lictores hodie domino tacente expediri solet, et uerba sollemnia licet non dicantur, ut dicta accipiuntur.
[HERMOGENIANUS, in the first book of the Epitome of Law.] Today, manumission through lictors is customarily carried out with the master remaining silent, and the solemn words, even if they are not spoken, are accepted as spoken.

Notes

  1. §40.2.23.prdomino tacente — An ablative absolute consisting of the noun domino and the present participle tacente, expressing concession or attendant circumstance ('even with the master remaining silent' or 'while the master remains silent').
  2. §40.2.23.prlicet non dicantur — The word licet functions as a concessive conjunction ('although', 'even if'), taking the subjunctive present passive dicantur.
  3. §40.2.23.prut dicta — The particle ut ('as', 'as if') modifying the perfect passive participle neuter plural dicta (agreeing with uerba), meaning 'as spoken' or 'as if they had been spoken'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.2.23.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.2.23.pr

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