Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.4.41.pr-40.4.41.2

Timing of Freedom under Time Limits and Conditions

Passage 6389 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Pomponius discusses how temporal designations and conditions in testaments affect the timing of a slave's manumission, citing Labeo and other authorities.

[IDEM libro septimo ex Plautio. ] §40.4.41.prSi ita fuerit libertas relicta: 'stichus seruus meus anno duodecimo, postquam ego mortuus ero, liber esto', uerisimile est principio duodecimi anni eum liberum esse, nam hoc mortuum sensisse.
[THE SAME in the seventh book on Plautius.] If freedom has been left in this way: 'Let my slave Stichus, in the twelfth year after I shall have died, be free', it is probable that he is free at the beginning of the twelfth year; for it is likely that the deceased intended this.
et inter hos sermones 'duodecimo anno' et 'post duodecim annos' multum interest et ita loqui solemus.
And between these expressions, 'in the twelfth year' and 'after twelve years', there is a great difference, and we are accustomed to speak in this way.
duodecimus annus est, cum quantulumlibet ex duodecimo anno uenisset aut praeterisset, et qui duodecimo anno liber esse iubetur, omnibus anni diebus liber esse iussus est.
The twelfth year is when any portion whatsoever of the twelfth year has arrived or passed, and he who is ordered to be free in the twelfth year is ordered to be free on all days of that year.
§40.4.41.1Sed si ita sit scriptum in testamento: 'stichus seruus meus heredi meo mille nummos anno biennio triennio, postquam ego mortuus ero, si soluerit satisue fecerit, liber esto', non potest is seruus nisi triennio praeterito liber esse, nisi praesentem eam pecuniam soluat aut satisfaciat: compensanda etenim est heredi libertatis celeritas praematurae pecuniarum solutioni.
But if it should be written in a testament in this way: 'Let my slave Stichus, if he shall have paid or given security for a thousand nummi to my heir in the first, second, or third year after I shall have died, be free', that slave cannot be free unless the three years have passed, unless he pays that money immediately or gives security; for indeed, the quickness of the premature freedom must be compensated to the heir by the early payment of the money.
§40.4.41.2Labeo scribit, si sic libertas relicta sit: 'stichus intra annum, postquam mortuus ero, liber esto', statim eum liberum esse: nam et si ita sit: 'si intra annum decimum heredi meo dederit, liber esto', statim soluendo eo liberum esse sine mora futurum.
Labeo writes that if freedom has been left thus: 'Let Stichus, within a year after I shall have died, be free', he is free immediately; for even if it should be thus: 'If he shall have given to my heir within the tenth year, let him be free', he will be free immediately without delay upon paying it.

Notes

  1. §40.4.41.prnam hoc mortuum sensisse — mortuum is the accusative (subject accusative) referring to the deceased testator. sensisse is the perfect infinitive of sentio, signifying the intention or thought of the testator. Together they form an infinitive clause depending on an implied main verb of opinion (such as uerisimile est).
  2. §40.4.41.1anno biennio triennio — Ablatives indicating the period or installments, "in the first, second, or third year." Here it functions as a designation of cumulative or successive terms up to the third year.
  3. §40.4.41.1compensanda etenim est heredi libertatis celeritas praematurae pecuniarum solutioni — praematurae pecuniarum solutioni is a dative depending on compensanda est (to be compensated or balanced against). heredi is also a dative (either of agent or reference, "for the heir"). It expresses the reciprocal relationship where the quickness of gaining freedom early (libertatis celeritas) must be balanced for the heir by the early payment of the money (praematurae...solutioni).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.4.41.pr-40.4.41.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.4.41.pr-40.4.41.2

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