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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.4.4.pr-40.4.4.2

Validity of a Legacy to a Slave Manumitted Inter Vivos

Passage 6352 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Pomponius explains that if a legacy is left to a slave who is to be freed by testament, the legacy remains valid out of consideration of humanity even if the testator manumits the slave while still alive.

[IDEM libro secundo ad Sabinum. ] §40.4.4.prSi quis ita scripserit 'Stichus liber esto eique heres meus decem dato', nulla dubitatio est, quin debeantur etiam, si eum pater familias uiuus manumiserit.
[THE SAME, in the second book on Sabinus.] If anyone writes thus: 'Let Stichus be free and let my heir give him ten', there is no doubt but that they are owed even if the pater familias manumits him while alive.
§40.4.4.1Sed et si sic: 'Stichus liber esto' siue statim siue post tempus 'eique, cum liber erit, heres meus decem dato', idem dicendum est.
But even if thus: 'Let Stichus be free' (whether immediately or after a time) 'and, when he is free, let my heir give him ten', the same must be said.
§40.4.4.2Illud constabit, si libertate data sic fuerit legatum 'eique, si eum uindicta liberauero, heres meus decem dato', licet ex nimia suptilitate separatum est a testamento, attamen humanitatis intuitu ualebit legatum, si uiuus eum manumiserit.
This will be established: if, freedom having been given, a legacy was bequeathed thus, 'and, if I free him by staff, let my heir give him ten', although by excessive subtlety it is separated from the testament, nevertheless, out of consideration of humanity, the legacy will be valid, if he manumits him while alive.

Notes

  1. §40.4.4.prdebeantur — The verb debeo (to be owed) is in the plural passive subjunctive (debeantur) corresponding to the indeclinable numeral decem (ten), implying a plural noun for monetary units (such as sestertii).
  2. §40.4.4.pruiuus — The adjective uiuus (alive) agrees with the subject pater familias, functioning predicatively to mean 'while alive' or 'in his lifetime'.
  3. §40.4.4.2ex nimia suptilitate — Composed of the preposition x and the ablative nimia suptilitate, meaning 'from excessive subtlety' or 'by strict interpretation'. It refers to a situation where a strict legal interpretation (suptilitas) might invalidate the legacy, contrary to the testator's intention.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.4.4.pr-40.4.4.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.4.4.pr-40.4.4.2

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