Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §45.1.110.pr-45.1.110.1

Joint Stipulation with Third Party and Objective Meaning

Passage 7457 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains the determination of the debt when stipulating for oneself and a third party, and rules that in stipulating for female clothing, the objective fact of the item and the stipulator's intent prevail over the promisor's subjective habits.

[IDEM libro quarto ad Quintum Mucium. ] §45.1.110.prSi mihi et Titio, in cuius potestate non sim, stipuler decem, non tota decem, sed sola quinque mihi debentur: pars enim aliena deducitur, ut quod extraneo inutiliter stipulatus sum, non augeat meam partem.
[THE SAME, book four on Quintus Mucius.] If I should stipulate for ten for myself and for Titius, under whose power I am not, not the whole ten, but only five is owed to me; for the other's share is deducted, so that what I have uselessly stipulated for an outsider does not increase my own share.
§45.1.110.1Si stipulatus fuero de te: 'uestem tuam, quaecumque muliebris est, dare spondes?', magis ad mentem stipulantis quam ad mentem promittentis id referri debet, ut quid in re sit, aestimari debeat, non quid senserit promissor.
If I have stipulated from you: 'Do you promise to give your clothing, whatever is female clothing?', this ought to be referred to the mind of the stipulator rather than to the mind of the promisor, so that what is the case in reality ought to be assessed, not what the promisor thought.
itaque si solitus fuerat promissor muliebri quadam ueste uti, nihilo minus debetur.
Therefore, even if the promisor had been accustomed to use a certain female clothing, it is nonetheless owed.

Notes

  1. §45.1.110.prin cuius potestate non sim — The subjunctive sim is due to mood attraction (attractio modi) to the main clause's subjunctive stipuler, or functions as a restrictive/concessive relative clause. In Roman law, if the stipulator is not under the paternal power (patria potestas) of Titius, a stipulation made for Titius's benefit is void (inutilis); hence this condition is crucial.
  2. §45.1.110.1ut quid in re sit, aestimari debeat — The ut clause expresses the result or elaborates on the preceding magis ad mentem ... referri debet. quid in re sit is an indirect question, where in re means 'in the objective reality/fact of the matter', contrasted with quid senserit promissor (what the promisor subjectively thought).
  3. §45.1.110.1nihilo minus — Adverbial phrase. Formed by nihilo (by nothing, ablative of measure of difference) and minus (less), meaning 'none the less' or 'nevertheless', indicating that despite the promisor's personal habit of wearing female clothing, the item is still owed under the contract.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §45.1.110.pr-45.1.110.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:45.1.110.pr-45.1.110.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.