Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.4.15.pr

Freedom Conditioned on Failure to Manumit by Legatee

Passage 6363 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Julianus replies to a case where a slave is bequeathed with a condition that he shall be free if not manumitted within a year, stating that unless the legatee manumits him, the legatee acquires no rights over him and the slave becomes free.

[IULIANUS libro trigensimo secundo digestorum. ] §40.4.15.pr'Stichum Sempronio do lego.
[JULIANUS in the thirty-second book of the Digests.] 'I give and bequeath Stichus to Sempronius.
si Sempronius Stichum intra annum non manumiserit, idem Stichum liber esto'. quaesitum est, quid iuris sit.
If Sempronius does not manumit Stichus within a year, let the same Stichus be free.' The question was asked, what the law is.
respondit hoc modo libertate data 'si Sempronius non manumiserit, Stichus liber esto' Sempronium, nisi manumiserit, nihil iuris in Stichum habiturum, sed liberum eum futurum.
He replied that when freedom is given in this manner: 'If Sempronius does not manumit him, let Stichus be free,' Sempronius, unless he manumits him, will have no right over Stichus, but he will be free.

Notes

  1. §40.4.15.pridem Stichum — Although a nominative would be expected as the subject of the imperative 'esto', the accusative 'Stichum' appears here. This is likely due to attraction from the preceding accusative in 'Stichum Sempronio do lego' or a copyist's error, and semantically it is understood as a nominative (that the same Stichus should be free).
  2. §40.4.15.prSempronium ... habiturum, sed liberum eum futurum — An accusative and infinitive (AcI) construction dependent on the main verb 'respondit' (he replied). 'Sempronium' is the subject accusative of the infinitive 'habiturum [esse]', and in the second clause 'liberum eum' (he, i.e., Stichus, being free) forms the subject and complement of 'futurum [esse]', with 'esse' being omitted in both cases.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.4.15.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.4.15.pr

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.