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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §43.10.1.pr-43.10.1.5

Duties of Aediles Concerning Roads and Buildings

Passage 7063 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Quoting from Papinian's monograph on the aediles, this section regulates their duties in maintaining city roads and walls, removing obstructions, and enforcing maintenance and waste disposal rules on residents.

[PAULUS libro quinto sententiarum. ] §43.10.1.prἘκ τοῦ ἀστυνομικοῦ μονοβίβλου τοῦ Παπινιανοῦ.
From the monograph on the Aediles of Papinian.
Οἱ ἀστυνομικοὶ ἐπιμελείσθωσαν τῶν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ὁδῶν, ὅπως ἂν ὁμαλισθῶσιν καὶ τὰ ῥεύματα μὴ βλάπτῃ τὰς οἰκίας καὶ γέφυραι ὦσιν οἷς ἂν δέῃ.
The aediles shall take care of the roads in the city, so that they are leveled, and watercourses do not damage the houses, and there are bridges wherever there is need.
§43.10.1.1Ἐπιμελείσθωσαν δὲ ὅπως οἱ ἴδιοι τοῖχοι ἢ τῶν ἄλλων ἢ τῶν περὶ τὰς οἰκίας ἃ εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν φέρει μὴ σφαλερὰ ᾖ, ἵνα ὡς δεῖ καθαίρωσιν οἱ δεσπόται τῶν οἰκιῶν καὶ ἐπισκευάζωσιν.
And they shall take care that private walls, whether of their own or of others, or those around the houses which face into the street, do not become dangerous, so that the owners of the houses may pull them down and repair them as is necessary.
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ καθαίρωσιν μηδὲ ἐπισκευάζωσιν, ζημιούτωσαν αὐτούς, ἕως ἂν ἀσφαλῆ ποιήσωσιν.
If they do not pull them down or repair them, they shall fine them until they make them safe.
§43.10.1.2Ἐπιμελείσθωσαν δὲ ὅπως μηδεὶς ὀρύσσῃ τὰς ὁδοὺς μηδὲ χωννύῃ μηδὲ κτίζῃ εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς μηδέν· εἰ δὲ μή, ὁ μὲν δοῦλος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐντυχόντος μαστιγούσθω, ὁ δὲ ἐλεύθερος ἐνδεικνύσθω τοῖς ἀστυνόμοις, οἱ δὲ ἀστυνόμοι ζημιούτωσαν κατὰ τὸν νόμον καὶ τὸ γεγονὸς καταλυέτωσαν.
And they shall take care that no one digs up the roads, nor heaps earth on them, nor builds anything in the roads; otherwise, let a slave be scourged by anyone who meets him, and let a free person be reported to the aediles, and let the aediles fine him according to the law and demolish what has been built.
§43.10.1.3Ἐπισκευάζειν δὲ τὰς ὁδοὺς τὰς δημοσίας κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οἰκίαν ἕκαστον καὶ τὰς ὑδρορρόας ἐκκαθαίρειν τὰς ἐκ τοῦ ὑπαιθρίου καὶ ἐπισκευάζειν οὕτως, ὡς ἂν μὴ κωλύῃ ἅμαξαν ἐπιέναι.
And each person shall repair the public roads along his own house, and clear out the drains coming from the open air, and repair them in such a way as not to prevent a carriage from passing.
ὅσοι δὲ μισθωσάμενοι οἰκοῦσιν, ἐὰν μὴ ἐπισκευάσῃ ὁ δεσπότης, αὐτοὶ ἐπισκευάσαντες ὑπολογιζέσθωσαν τὸ ἀνάλωμα κατὰ τὸν μισθόν.
And as for those who live as tenants, if the owner does not repair, let them repair it themselves and deduct the expense from the rent.
§43.10.1.4Ἐπιμελείσθωσαν δὲ καὶ ὅπως πρὸ τῶν ἐργαστηρίων μηδὲν προκείμενον ᾖ, πλὴν ἐὰν κναφεὺς ἱμάτια ψύχῃ ἢ τέκτων τροχοὺς ἔξω τιθῇ· τιθέσθωσαν δὲ καὶ οὗτοι, ὥστε μὴ κωλύειν ἅμαξαν βαδίζειν.
And they shall also take care that nothing is placed in front of the workshops, except if a fuller is drying clothes or a carpenter places wheels outside; but let even these place them so as not to prevent a carriage from passing.
§43.10.1.5Μὴ ἐάτωσαν δὲ μηδὲ μάχεσθαι ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς μηδὲ κόπρον ἐκβάλλειν μηδὲ νεκρὰ μηδὲ δέρματα ῥίπτειν.
And they shall not allow fighting in the streets, nor the throwing out of dung, nor the casting of carcasses or hides.

Notes

  1. §43.10.1.1καθαίρωσιν — Although the verb `καθαιρέω` can mean "to clean," here it refers to the action taken against dangerous walls (`σφαλερά`), and is thus interpreted in the sense of "to pull down" or "to demolish" (corresponding to Latin `demoliri`).
  2. §43.10.1.1οἱ ἴδιοι τοῖχοι ἢ τῶν ἄλλων ἢ τῶν περὶ τὰς οἰκίας ἃ εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν φέρει — A complex noun phrase. The phrase `οἱ ἴδιοι τοῖχοι` (private walls) is asymmetrical, coordinated with the genitive phrases `τῶν ἄλλων` (of others) and `τῶν περὶ τὰς οἰκίας` (those around the houses), with the relative clause `ἃ εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν φέρει` (headed by the neuter plural relative pronoun `ἃ`) modifying the latter to mean "those which face into the street."
  3. §43.10.1.3Ἐπισκευάζειν δὲ τὰς ὁδοὺς ... ἕκαστον — The infinitive `Ἐπισκευάζειν` (and the subsequent `ἐκκαθαίρειν`) with the accusative subject `ἕκαστον` functions as an "imperative infinitive" expressing command or obligation in legal texts, or is understood as an indirect command depending on the preceding `ἐπιμελείσθωσαν`, or with an ellipsis of a verb like `δεῖ`.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §43.10.1.pr-43.10.1.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:43.10.1.pr-43.10.1.5

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