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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.4.2.pr

Validity of Manumission in Case of Conditional Substitution

Passage 6350 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

In a case where a will contains a substitution of heirs and a grant of freedom to a slave, this passage presents Aristo's negative view and Ulpian's opposing view that the slave should become free even if the first heir accepts the inheritance, interpreting the grant as being made doubly.

[IDEM libro quinto ad Sabinum. ] §40.4.2.prSi quis ita heredem instituerit 'Titius heres esto.
[THE SAME, in the fifth book on Sabinus.] If anyone should have appointed an heir in this way: 'Let Titius be heir.
si Titius heres non erit, Stichus heres esto.
If Titius will not be heir, let Stichus be heir.
Stichus liber esto', non esse Stichum liberum Aristo ait Titio herede existente.
Let Stichus be free', Aristo says that Stichus is not free if Titius becomes heir.
mihi uidetur posse dici liberum fore, quasi non utique alio gradu acceperit libertatem, sed dupliciter: quo iure utimur.
It seems to me that it can be said that he will be free, as if he did not receive freedom merely in the other degree, but doubly; which is the rule of law we follow.

Notes

  1. §40.4.2.prTitio herede existente — Ablative absolute. Formed with the present participle `existente`, it represents a conditional circumstance: 'Titius existing as heir' (i.e., if Titius accepts the inheritance and becomes the heir).
  2. §40.4.2.prliberum fore — Accusative with infinitive construction. The subject accusative `Stichum` is omitted before `fore` (an alternative form of the future infinitive `futurum esse`), which depends on the passive verb `dici`.
  3. §40.4.2.pralio gradu — Refers to the 'degree' (gradus) of heirship in a will. It signifies the second-degree substitution (Stichus) alternative to the first degree (Titius). It is used here to counter Aristo's view that Stichus only receives freedom if he becomes heir in that secondary degree.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.4.2.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.4.2.pr

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