Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.5.21.pr

Prohibition of Servitude and Immediate Claim to Freedom

Passage 6431 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

A decision by the Emperor on the interpretation of a request for manumission. The phrase asking that Stichus not experience another's servitude is interpreted as a grant of trust-freedom, which becomes claimable immediately if the heir alienates him while alive, even if the alienation is non-voluntary or if he is later redeemed.

[PAPINIANUS libro nono decimo quaestionum. ] §40.5.21.pr'Rogo, ne Stichus alterius ser'uitutem experiatur'. intellegi datam fideicommissam libertatem placuit principi: quid enim tam contrarium est seruituti quam libertas? nec tamen quasi post mortem heredis data uidebitur: quod eo pertinet, ut, si uiuus eum alienauerit, confestim libertas petatur nec prosit ad impediendam libertatis petitionem, si redemerit eum, cuius semel condicio extitit.
[FROM Papinian, Book XIX of Questions.] "I request that Stichus may not experience the servitude of another." The Emperor decided that a trust-freedom should be understood to have been given; for what is so contrary to servitude as freedom? And yet, it will not be seen as given as if after the death of the heir; which has this effect, that if he alienates him while alive, freedom may be claimed immediately, nor will it be of any use for impeding the petition for freedom if he should redeem him, whose condition has once been fulfilled.
idem probandum est et si non uoluntaria alienatio ab herede facta est: nec refragabitur, quod non per ipsum alienatio facta est.
The same must be approved even if a non-voluntary alienation was made by the heir; nor will it be an objection that the alienation was not made by him personally.
fuit enim quasi statuliber et quacumque ratione condicio impleta est.
For he was, as it were, a conditionally free slave, and by whatever means the condition was fulfilled.

Notes

  1. §40.5.21.printellegi datam fideicommissam libertatem — The passive infinitive intellegi ('to be understood') acts as the subject of the impersonal verb placuit ('it pleased [the emperor]'), and it takes the accusative-and-infinitive clause datam [esse] fideicommissam libertatem ('that trust-freedom had been given') as its object/subject of the understanding.
  2. §40.5.21.prquod eo pertinet, ut — The relative pronoun quod refers back to the preceding sentence as a whole. The construction eo pertinet, ut is an idiomatic expression meaning 'it tends to this point, that...' or 'it has this effect, that...', introducing a result or explanatory clause with ut and the subjunctive.
  3. §40.5.21.prnec refragabitur, quod — The verb refragabitur (future of refragor, 'to oppose, object') is used here intransitively, and its subject is the noun clause introduced by quod indicating a fact ('the fact that...', 'that...').

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.5.21.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.5.21.pr

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