Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.4.31.pr

Manumission of One of Several Slaves of the Same Name

Passage 6379 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains the legal rule that if one out of several slaves with the same name is ordered to be free, but it cannot be determined who he is, none of them shall be set free.

[PAULUS libro uicensimo sexto ad edictum. ] §40.4.31.prCum ex pluribus eodem nomine seruis unus liber iussus non appareat qui sit, nullus liber est.
[PAULUS in the twenty-sixth book on the Edict.] When, out of several slaves with the same name, one who was ordered to be free does not appear who he is, none is free.

Notes

  1. §40.4.31.prunus liber iussus non appareat qui sit — The nominative "unus" (with the participle "liber iussus", "one ordered to be free") stands as the subject of "appareat", while the indirect question "qui sit" ("who he is", subjunctive) clarifies its identity. This proleptic structure effectively means "it is not apparent who the one ordered to be free is."

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.4.31.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.4.31.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.