Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §45.1.12.pr

Alternative Amounts or Dates in a Stipulation

Passage 7358 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section rules that in a stipulation presenting alternative amounts or dates, the debt is limited to the lesser amount and the deadline is treated as the later of the dates.

[POMPONIUS libro quinto ad Sabinum. ] §45.1.12.prSi ita stipulatus fuero: 'decem aut quinque dari spondes?', quinque debentur: et si ita: 'kalendis Ianuariis uel Februariis dari spondes?', perinde est, quasi 'kalendis Februariis' stipulatus sim.

[POMPONIUS, in the fifth book on Sabinus.] If I have stipulated thus: 'Do you promise that ten or five be given?', five are due: and if thus: 'Do you promise that it be given on the Kalends of January or of February?', it is just as if I had stipulated 'on the Kalends of February'.

Notes

§45.1.12.prquinque debentur — In an alternative stipulation of 'ten or five', only the lesser amount ('five') is legally due. This reflects the general Roman law principle of interpretation in favor of the debtor (favor debitoris), as the lesser amount is the minimum certain obligation.
§45.1.12.prperinde est, quasi 'kalendis Februariis' stipulatus sim — The comparative clause of condition introduced by 'perinde est, quasi' ('it is just as if') requires the subjunctive mood (here, the perfect subjunctive 'stipulatus sim'). When two alternative dates are offered, the debtor has the benefit of the later date to perform the obligation, making the legal effect equivalent to a stipulation for the later date.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §45.1.12.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:45.1.12.pr

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.