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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.4.10.pr-40.4.10.1

Conflict between Peculium Legacy and Enfranchisement

Passage 6358 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section discusses the legal principle of 'genus and species' regarding the manumission of a sub-slave belonging to a peculium, and the interpretation of the testator's intent in cases of conflict between a legacy and an order of freedom.

[PAULUS libro quarto ad Sabinum. ] §40.4.10.prSi peculium praelegatum est et uicarius liber esse iussus sit, liberum eum esse constat.
[PAULUS in the fourth book on Sabinus.] If a peculium has been pre-legacy-bequeathed and a sub-slave has been ordered to be free, it is established that he is free.
multum enim interest inter genus et speciem: speciem enim eximi de genere placet: quod est in peculio legato et uicario manumisso.
For there is a great difference between genus and species: for it is accepted that species is excepted from genus: which is the case in a legacy of peculium and a manumitted sub-slave.
§40.4.10.1Si seruus legatus liber esse iussus est, liber est.
If a slave who has been bequeathed is ordered to be free, he is free.
sed si prius liber esse iussus, postea legatus sit, si quidem euidens uoluntas sit testatoris, quod ademit libertatem, cum placeat hodie etiam libertatem adimi posse, legato eum cedere puto: quod si in obscuro sit, tunc fauorabilius respondetur liberum fore.
But if he was first ordered to be free and afterwards bequeathed, if indeed the intention of the testator is evident that he took away the freedom—since it is accepted today that freedom can also be taken away—I think that he yields to the legacy: but if it is in obscurity, then it is answered more favorably that he will be free.

Notes

  1. §40.4.10.prpeculio legato et uicario manumisso — A juxtaposition of two pairs of ablative noun phrases (noun + perfect participle) governed by the preposition 'in'. It denotes the specific situation where the legacy of the peculium as 'genus' (peculio legato) and the manumission of the individual sub-slave as 'species' (uicario manumisso) compete.
  2. §40.4.10.1legato eum cedere — The verb 'cedere' governs the dative ('legato') and means 'to yield to' or 'to give way to'. In this context, it means that the grant of freedom becomes void, and the slave belongs to the legatee as the object of the legacy (i.e., the legacy takes precedence).
  3. §40.4.10.1quod si in obscuro sit — 'quod si' is a transitional phrase meaning 'but if'. 'in obscuro' is a prepositional phrase meaning 'in obscurity' or 'in doubt', referring to a case where it is not clear from the text of the testament whether the testator's true intention was to revoke the freedom.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.4.10.pr-40.4.10.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.4.10.pr-40.4.10.1

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