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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §43.26.2.pr-43.26.2.3

Praetorian Edict and Remedies for Restoring Precarium

Passage 7152 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains the praetorian edict on restoring a precarium, its inherent equity and legal remedies, and the definition of what constitutes holding by precarium.

[IDEM libro septuagensimo primo ad edictum. ] §43.26.2.prAit praetor: 'Quod precario ab illo habes aut dolo malo fecisti, ut desineres habere, qua de re agitur, id illi restituas'. §43.26.2.1Hoc interdictum restitutorium est. §43.26.2.2Et naturalem habet in se aequitatem, namque precarium reuocare uolenti competit: est enim natura aequum tamdiu te liberalitate mea uti, quamdiu ego uelim, et ut possim reuocare, cum mutauero uoluntatem.
[THE SAME, Edict, book seventy-one.]\n\nThe praetor says: "Whatever you hold by precarium from him, or have by malicious intent ceased to hold, concerning which matter this action is brought, you must restore it to him."\n\nThis interdict is restoratory.\n\nAnd it possesses in itself a natural equity; for it is available to one who wishes to revoke a precarium. Indeed, it is by nature equitable that you should use my liberality only so long as I wish, and that I should be able to revoke it when I have changed my mind.
itaque cum quid precario rogatum est, non solum hoc interdicto uti possumus, sed etiam praescriptis uerbis actione, quae ex bona fide oritur. §43.26.2.3Habere precario uidetur, qui possessionem uel corporis uel iuris adeptus est ex hac solummodo causa, quod preces adhibuit et impetrauit, ut sibi possidere aut uti liceat:
Therefore, when anything has been requested by precarium, we can use not only this interdict, but also the action on prescribed words, which arises from good faith.\n\nA person is deemed to hold by precarium if he has acquired possession either of a corporeal thing or of a right solely on this ground, namely, because he made entreaties and obtained permission that he might possess or use it.

Notes

  1. §43.26.2.prfecisti, ut desineres habere — The construction facere ut followed by the subjunctive expresses result or causation ("to bring it about that", "to act so as to"). Here, combined with dolo malo (by malicious intent), it refers to a situation where the holder has intentionally and maliciously caused themselves to cease possessing the property.
  2. §43.26.2.2namque precarium reuocare uolenti competit — The verb competere means "to be available to" or "to lie in favor of" (referring to actions or remedies) and governs the dative case (here, the dative present participle uolenti, "to one who wishes"). The subject is contextually hoc interdictum (this interdict) from the previous sentence.
  3. §43.26.2.2est enim natura aequum tamdiu te liberalitate mea uti, quamdiu ego uelim, et ut possim reuocare — As the subject of the impersonal expression aequum est ("it is equitable that"), the infinitive clause te... uti in the first half and the ut clause ut possim... in the second half are coordinated by et. This demonstrates a syntactic asymmetry where two different structures (an accusative with infinitive and a subjunctive noun clause) function in parallel as the subject.
  4. §43.26.2.3possessionem uel corporis uel iuris — The genitives corporis and iuris are limiting or objective genitives modifying possessionem, meaning "possession either of a physical body (corporeal thing) or of a right (incorporeal thing)". This refers to the Roman legal distinction between physical possession of a tangible object and the quasi-possession of a right.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §43.26.2.pr-43.26.2.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:43.26.2.pr-43.26.2.3

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