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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §40.7.24.pr

Fulfillment of Freedom Conditions through Promises to the Heir

Passage 6495 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text discusses a slave whose freedom is conditioned upon promising ten to the heir or swearing to perform services, explaining that such a promise, though not creating a legal obligation before manumission, can still fulfill the condition.

[MARCELLUS libro sexto decimo digestorum. ] §40.7.24.prStichus, si heredi meo decem 'promiserit uel operas daturum se iurauerit, liber esto'. potest expleri condicio, si promiserit: nam spopondisse aliqua significatione dici potest, etiamsi non sit secuta obligatio.
[MARCELLUS, book sixteen of the Digests.] "If Stichus should promise ten to my heir or swear that he will render services, let him be free." The condition can be fulfilled if he promises; for he can be said in some sense to have promised, even if no obligation followed.

Notes

  1. §40.7.24.prspopondisse — Since a slave lacks legal capacity, any promise (promittere/spondere) made before manumission does not create a civil law "obligation" (obligatio). However, this passage shows that for the fulfillment of the condition, a factual oral agreement (spopondisse) is sufficient "in some sense" (aliqua significatione), even without the generation of a binding legal obligation.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §40.7.24.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:40.7.24.pr

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