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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §44.7.3.pr-44.7.3.2

Essence of Obligation and Mutual Intent for Its Creation

Passage 7288 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus explains that the essence of an obligation lies not in acquiring property but in binding another to perform, and emphasizes that the establishment of an obligation requires mutual intention rather than mere transfer of money or formal verbal exchanges.

[PAULUS libro secundo institutionum. ] §44.7.3.prObligationum substantia non in eo consistit, ut aliquod corpus nostrum aut seruitutem nostram faciat, sed ut alium nobis obstringat ad dandum aliquid uel faciendum uel praestandum.
[PAULUS, from the second book of the Institutes.] The substance of obligations consists not in making some property ours or some servitude ours, but in binding another person to us to give, to do, or to perform something.
§44.7.3.1Non satis autem est dantis esse nummos et fieri accipientis, ut obligatio nascatur, sed etiam hoc animo dari et accipi, ut obligatio constituatur.
Moreover, it is not sufficient for the creation of an obligation that the money belongs to the giver and becomes the property of the receiver, but it must also be given and received with this intention, that an obligation is established.
itaque si quis pecuniam suam donandi causa dederit mihi, quamquam et donantis fuerit et mea fiat, tamen non obligabor ei, quia non hoc inter nos actum est.
Therefore, if anyone should give me his money for the purpose of a gift, although it belonged to the giver and becomes mine, yet I shall not be obligated to him, because this was not what was transacted between us.
§44.7.3.2Uerborum quoque obligatio constat, si inter contrahentes id agatur: nec enim si per iocum puta uel demonstrandi intellectus causa ego tibi dixero 'spondes?' et tu responderis 'spondeo', nascetur obligatio.
An obligation by words also is established only if this is what is intended between the contracting parties; for if, say for the sake of a joke or for the purpose of demonstrating understanding, I say to you "Do you promise?" and you answer "I promise", no obligation will arise.

Notes

  1. §44.7.3.praliquod corpus nostrum aut seruitutem nostram faciat — nostrum and nostram are accusative forms of the possessive adjective noster, agreeing with aliquod corpus (neuter singular accusative) and seruitutem (feminine singular accusative) respectively. They function as predicative complements to the objects of the verb faciat, meaning "to make some body (property) ours" or "to make some servitude ours".
  2. §44.7.3.1dantis esse nummos et fieri accipientis — dantis (of the giver) and accipientis (of the receiver) are the genitive singular of the present participles dans and accipiens used substantively. They function as predicate possessive genitives with esse (to be) and fieri (to become), within the accusative-with-infinitive clause where nummos is the subject. The whole phrase serves as the subject of the impersonal Non satis est.
  3. §44.7.3.2si inter contrahentes id agatur — The verb agere in id agatur (passive subjunctive present 3rd person singular) is used idiomatically in legal contexts to mean "to intend," "to propose," or "to transact." The si clause expresses the condition, indicating that subjective agreement (mutual intention) is necessary for the establishment of a verbal obligation.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §44.7.3.pr-44.7.3.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:44.7.3.pr-44.7.3.2

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