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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §45.1.99.pr-45.1.99.1

Interpretation of Ambiguity and Negative Conditions

Passage 7446 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Celsus states that while ambiguous contract terms are generally interpreted in favor of the promisor, the promisor cannot insist on an arbitrary restriction for his own benefit. He also explains that a stipulation conditioned on an omission cannot be claimed until the specified period has elapsed and the omission becomes unalterably true.

[CELSUS libro trigensimo octauo digestorum. ] §45.1.99.prQuidquid adstringendae obligationis est, id nisi palam uerbis exprimitur, omissum intellegendum est: ac fere secundum promissorem interpretamur, quia stipulatori liberum fuit uerba late concipere.
[CELSUS, book thirty-eight of the Digest] Whatever pertains to securing an obligation, unless it is openly expressed in words, must be understood as omitted; and we generally interpret in favor of the promisor, because it was free for the stipulator to frame the words broadly.
nec rursum promissor ferendus est, si eius intererit de certis potius uasis forte aut hominibus actum.
On the other hand, the promisor is not to be tolerated if it should be to his interest that the transaction was perhaps rather about specific vessels or slaves.
§45.1.99.1Si stipulatus hoc modo fuero: 'si intra biennium Capitolium non ascenderis, dari?', non nisi praeterito biennio recte petam: nam etsi ambigua uerba sunt, sic tamen exaudiuntur, si inmutabiliter uerum fuit te Capitolium non ascendisse.
If I have stipulated in this manner: "If you do not ascend the Capitol within two years, do you promise it to be given?", I shall not rightfully claim except after the two years have elapsed; for although the words are ambiguous, they are nevertheless understood in this way, if it has become unalterably true that you did not ascend the Capitol.

Notes

  1. §45.1.99.prQuidquid adstringendae obligationis est — adstringendae obligationis is a genitive of a noun with a gerundive, functioning as a predicate with est ('belongs to', 'pertains to'). Here it refers to terms or conditions that would make the obligation more restrictive or burdensome.
  2. §45.1.99.prsi eius intererit de certis potius uasis forte aut hominibus actum — intererit is the future perfect of the impersonal verb interest. The person whose interest is concerned (the promissor) is expressed by the genitive eius. The logical subject of intererit is the accusative and infinitive clause de certis potius uasis... actum [esse] ('that the transaction was rather about specific vessels...'). In Roman legal contexts, homines often refers to slaves.
  3. §45.1.99.1si inmutabiliter uerum fuit te Capitolium non ascendisse — The conjunction si here has a restrictive sense ('only if', 'provided that'). The perfect tense fuit indicates the point in time when, after the expiration of the two-year period, it has become 'unalterably true' that the act of ascending did not take place.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §45.1.99.pr-45.1.99.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:45.1.99.pr-45.1.99.1

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