Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §45.1.127.pr

Death of the Object in Unauthorized Stipulations

Passage 7475 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section discusses the scope of liability of a surety when the slave, who is the object of the promise, dies after a ward promises the obligation without the tutor's authority, and explains why default cannot occur on the ward's part.

[SCAEUOLA libro quinto quaestionum. ] §45.1.127.prSi pupillus sine tutoris auctoritate Stichum promittat et fideiussorem dedit, seruus autem post moram a pupillo factam decedat, nec fideiussor erit propter pupilli moram obligatus: nulla enim intellegitur mora ibi fieri, ubi nulla petitio est.
[SCAEVOLA, Questions, book 5.] If a ward, without the authority of his tutor, should promise Stichus and has given a surety, and the slave should die after default made by the ward, the surety also will not be liable on account of the default of the ward; for it is understood that no default occurs where there is no right of action.
esse autem fideiussorem obligatum ad hoc, ut uiuo homine conueniatur uel ex mora sua postea.
However, the surety is liable to this extent, that he may be sued while the slave is still alive, or subsequently on account of his own default.

Notes

  1. §45.1.127.presse autem fideiussorem obligatum — The main verb of the response (such as *respondit* "he replied" or *placet* "it is held") is omitted, resulting in an accusative and infinitive construction (A.C.I.) of indirect speech.
  2. §45.1.127.pruiuo homine — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun *homo* (here referring to the slave Stichus) and the adjective *uiuus*, expressing a temporal condition: "while the man (slave) is still alive".
  3. §45.1.127.prnulla petitio — Since a promise made by a ward (*pupillus*) without the authority of their tutor lacks a civil law right of action (*petitio*), there is no "lawful demand" which is the prerequisite for legal default (*mora*).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §45.1.127.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:45.1.127.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.