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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §45.1.117.pr

Division of an Alternative Stipulation Among Heirs

Passage 7464 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text explains that whether the stipulation for one hundred slaves with a reserved right of choice is divided by number among the heirs depends on whether the creditor dies before or after the choice is made.

[IDEM libro duodecimo quaestionum. ] §45.1.117.prSi centum homines, quos ego heresue meus eligerem, stipulatus, antequam eligerem, duos heredes reliquero, numero diuiditur stipulatio: diuersum erit, si iam electis hominibus successerint.
[THE SAME, book twelve of Questions.] If I, having stipulated for one hundred slaves whom I or my heir should choose, leave two heirs before I make the choice, the stipulation is divided by number; it will be otherwise if they succeed after the slaves have already been chosen.

Notes

  1. §45.1.117.prstipulatus — Perfect participle of the deponent verb stipulor, agreeing with the subject of the main clause (first person singular "I" implied in reliquero). It is translated actively as "having stipulated."
  2. §45.1.117.priam electis hominibus — Interpreted as an ablative absolute ("after the slaves have already been chosen"). Although it could grammatically be taken as a dative with successerint ("succeed to"), the heirs succeed to the contractual position (the claim for the chosen slaves) rather than the slaves themselves; thus, taking it as an ablative absolute indicating time is more natural.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §45.1.117.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:45.1.117.pr

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