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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §46.3.13.pr

Time Limit and Grace Period for Ratification by Principal

Passage 7668 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Julian explains that the requirement for a principal to ratify an act as soon as they are informed must be understood flexibly with a reasonable period of time, drawing an analogy to the rejection of a legacy.

[IULIANUS libro quinquagensimo quarto digestorum. ] §46.3.13.prRatum autem habere dominus debet, cum primum certior factus est.
[IULIANUS libro quinquagensimo quarto digestorum.] However, the principal ought to ratify as soon as he is informed.
sed hoc ἐν πλάτει et cum quodam spatio temporis accipi debet, sicut in legato, cum de repellendo quaereretur, spatium quoddam temporis adsumitur nec minimum nec maximum et quod magis intellectu percipi quam ex locutione exprimi possit.
But this must be understood broadly and with a certain space of time, just as in the case of a legacy, when the question is about repudiating it, a certain space of time is allowed, which is neither the minimum nor the maximum, and which can be grasped by the intellect rather than expressed in words.

Notes

  1. §46.3.13.prἐν πλάτει — A Greek adverbial phrase meaning "broadly," "generally," or "flexibly" (equivalent to Latin *latē* or *largē*). It indicates that the requirement is not to be interpreted as a strict, instantaneous point in time, but rather allows for a flexible range depending on the circumstances.
  2. §46.3.13.prcum de repellendo quaereretur — A *cum* clause with the imperfect subjunctive *quaereretur* (historical or circumstantial *cum*). *repellendo* is the ablative of the gerund of *repellere*, serving as the object of the preposition *de*, meaning "repudiating" or "rejecting" a legacy.
  3. §46.3.13.prquod magis intellectu percipi quam ex locutione exprimi possit — The relative pronoun *quod* modifies the antecedent *spatium*. The subjunctive present passive *possit* is a subjunctive of characteristic, describing the nature or quality of the period of time ("of such a kind that it can...").

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §46.3.13.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:46.3.13.pr

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