Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §46.4.11.pr-46.4.11.3

Acceptilatio by Slaves under Usufruct and Special Cases

Passage 7775 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus discusses the efficacy of debt releases (acceptilatio) mediated by slaves under usufruct or other rights, as well as the validity of releases requested by slaves in special situations like unaccepted inheritances or the captivity of the master.

[PAULUS libro duodecimo ad Sabinum. ] §46.4.11.prSpecies adquirendi est liberare dominum obligatione: et ideo fructuarius quoque seruus liberare acceptum rogando fructuarium potest, quia ex re eius uidetur ei adquirere.
[PAULUS in the twelfth book on Sabinus.] To free a master from an obligation is a species of acquiring; and therefore a slave in whom one has a usufruct can also, by asking for a release, free the usufructuary, because he is deemed to acquire for him from his property.
sed et si usum tantum habemus, idem fiet.
But even if we only have the use, the same will happen.
idemque dicemus et in eo, qui bona fide nobis seruit, et in ceteris, qui nostro iuri subiecti sunt.
And we shall say the same also in the case of one who serves us in good faith, and in the case of the others who are subject to our power.
§46.4.11.1Sed et si seruo quod ipse mihi promisit acceptum fecero, inutiles mihi erunt aduersus dominum honorariae actiones, quae de peculio uel in rem uerso dantur.
But also if I have released a slave from what he himself promised to me, the honorary actions against the master, which are granted concerning the peculium or concerning what has been turned to his benefit, will be useless to me.
§46.4.11.2Si seruus hereditarius ante aditam hereditatem acceptum roget, quod defunctus promisit, uerius puto contingere liberationem, ut per hoc hereditas ipsa liberetur.
If a slave belonging to an inheritance, before the inheritance is accepted, asks for a release of what the deceased promised, I think it is more correct that the release takes effect, so that through this the inheritance itself is freed.
§46.4.11.3Sed et si dominus apud hostes sit, dicendum est iure postliminii confirmari acceptilationem: nam et stipulari ei, qui apud hostes est, seruus potest.
But even if the master is in the hands of the enemy, it must be said that the release is confirmed by the right of postliminium; for a slave can also make a stipulation for one who is in the hands of the enemy.

Notes

  1. §46.4.11.prSpecies adquirendi est liberare dominum obligatione — The infinitive clause `liberare dominum obligatione` (to free the master from an obligation) is the subject of the sentence, and `species adquirendi` is the predicate nominative, in which `adquirendi` is a gerund in the genitive modifying `species`.
  2. §46.4.11.prliberare acceptum rogando fructuarium potest — The ablative gerund `rogando` expressing means is accompanied by `acceptum` (received), forming the legal formula `acceptum rogare` (to ask for a verbal release/acceptilation). The subject of the action is `seruus`, and the object is `fructuarium`.
  3. §46.4.11.prex re eius uidetur ei adquirere — The genitive pronoun `eius` and the dative pronoun `ei` both refer to the usufructuary (`fructuarius`). This describes the rule of acquisition through a usufructuary slave: "from the usufructuary's property, to acquire for the usufructuary."
  4. §46.4.11.2ante aditam hereditatem — The preposition `ante` is followed by the perfect passive participle `aditam` agreeing with `hereditatem`, forming a dominant participle construction (like "ab urbe condita") meaning "before the acceptance of the inheritance."

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §46.4.11.pr-46.4.11.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:46.4.11.pr-46.4.11.3

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.