[ULPIANUS libro quinquagensimo sexto ad edictum. ] §47.10.1.prIniuria ex eo dicta est, quod non iure fiat: omne enim, quod non iure fit, iniuria fieri dicitur.
[ULPIAN, On the Edict, book fifty-six.] An iniuria is so called because it is done contrary to law: for everything which is done contrary to law is said to be done by way of iniuria.
hoc generaliter.
This is its general sense.
specialiter autem iniuria dicitur contumelia.
But in a special sense, iniuria is called contumelia.
interdum iniuriae appellatione damnum culpa datum significatur, ut in lege Aquilia dicere solemus: interdum iniquitatem iniuriam dicimus, nam cum quis inique uel iniuste sententiam dixit, iniuriam ex eo dictam, quod iure et iustitia caret, quasi non iuriam, contumeliam autem a contemnendo.
Sometimes by the term iniuria a damage caused by fault is meant, as we are accustomed to say under the Lex Aquilia. Sometimes we call unfairness iniuria; for when someone has rendered a decision unfairly or unjustly, it is called iniuria because it lacks law and justice, being as it were 'not-law', while contumelia is derived from contemnere.
§47.10.1.1Iniuriam autem fieri Labeo ait aut re aut uerbis: re, quotiens manus inferuntur: uerbis autem, quotiens non manus inferuntur, conuicium fit:
Labeo says that an iniuria is committed either by deed or by words: by deed, whenever physical violence is applied; by words, whenever physical violence is not applied, but a verbal insult is made.
§47.10.1.2omnemque iniuriam aut in corpus inferri aut ad dignitatem aut ad infamiam pertinere: in corpus fit, cum quis pulsatur: ad dignitatem, cum comes matronae abducitur: ad infamiam, cum pudicitia adtemptatur.
and that every iniuria is either inflicted on the body, or relates to dignity, or leads to infamy: it is inflicted on the body when someone is beaten; it relates to dignity when the attendant of a matron is led away; it leads to infamy when chastity is attempted.
§47.10.1.3Item aut per semet ipsum alicui fit iniuria aut per alias personas.
Likewise, an iniuria is committed against someone either through oneself or through other persons.
per semet, cum directo ipsi cui patri familias uel matri familias fit iniuria: per alias, cum per consequentias fit, cum fit liberis meis uel seruis meis uel uxori nuruiue: spectat enim ad nos iniuria, quae in his fit, qui uel potestati nostrae uel affectui subiecti sint.
Through oneself, when the iniuria is committed directly against the person himself, whether a paterfamilias or a materfamilias; through others, when it is committed consequentially, as when it is committed against my children, or my slaves, or my wife, or my daughter-in-law. For an iniuria committed against those who are subject either to our power or to our affection concerns us.
§47.10.1.4Et si forte cadaueri defuncti fit iniuria, cui heredes bonorumue possessores exstitimus, iniuriarum nostro nomine habemus actionem: spectat enim ad existimationem nostram, si qua ei fiat iniuria.
And if by chance an iniuria is committed against the corpse of a deceased person to whom we have succeeded as heirs or possessors of goods, we have an action for iniuria in our own name; for any iniuria done to the corpse concerns our reputation.
idemque et si fama eius, cui heredes exstitimus, lacessatur.
The same applies if the reputation of the deceased, to whom we have succeeded as heirs, is assailed.
§47.10.1.5Usque adeo autem iniuria, quae fit liberis nostris, nostrum pudorem pertingit, ut etiamsi uolentem filium quis uendiderit, patri suo quidem nomine competit iniuriarum actio, filii uero nomine non competit, quia nulla iniuria est, quae in uolentem fiat.
Moreover, an iniuria committed against our children affects our sense of honor to such an extent that even if someone sells a son who is willing, an action for iniuria is competent to the father in his own name, but it is not competent in the name of the son, because no iniuria is committed against one who is willing.
§47.10.1.6Quotiens autem funeri testatoris uel cadaueri fit iniuria, si quidem post aditam hereditatem fiat, dicendum est heredi quodammodo factam (semper enim heredis interest defuncti existimationem purgare): quotiens autem ante aditam hereditatem, magis hereditati, et sic heredi per hereditatem adquiri.
Whenever, moreover, an iniuria is committed against the funeral or the corpse of a testator, if indeed it is committed after the inheritance has been entered, it must be said to have been committed in a way against the heir (for it is always in the interest of the heir to clear the reputation of the deceased); but whenever it is committed before the inheritance has been entered, it is committed rather against the inheritance, and is thus acquired for the heir through the inheritance.
denique Iulianus scribit, si corpus testatoris ante aditam hereditatem detentum est, adquiri hereditati actiones dubium non esse.
Finally, Julian writes that if the corpse of the testator is detained before the inheritance is entered, there is no doubt that actions are acquired for the inheritance.
idemque putat et si ante aditam hereditatem seruo hereditario iniuria facta fuerit: nam per hereditatem actio heredi adquiretur.
He also thinks the same if, before the inheritance is entered, an iniuria is committed against a slave belonging to the inheritance; for the action will be acquired for the heir through the inheritance.
§47.10.1.7Labeo scribit, si quis seruum hereditarium testamento manumissum ante aditam hereditatem uerberauerit, iniuriarum heredem agere posse: at si post aditam hereditatem uerberatus sit, siue scit se liberum siue ignorat, ipsum agere posse.
Labeo writes that if anyone, before the inheritance is entered, has beaten a slave belonging to the inheritance who was manumitted by the testament, the heir can bring an action for iniuria; but if he is beaten after the inheritance has been entered, whether he knows he is free or is ignorant of it, he himself can bring the action.
§47.10.1.8Siue autem sciat quis filium meum esse uel uxorem meam, siue ignorauerit, habere me meo nomine actionem Neratius scripsit.
Neratius wrote that whether anyone knows that the person is my son or my wife, or is ignorant of it, I have an action in my own name.
§47.10.1.9Idem ait Neratius ex una iniuria interdum tribus oriri iniuriarum actionem neque ullius actionem per alium consumi.
The same Neratius says that from a single iniuria sometimes three actions for iniuria arise, and the action of no one of them is consumed by that of another.
ut puta uxori meae filiae familias iniuria facta est: et mihi et patri eius et ipsi iniuriarum actio incipiet competere.
For example, if an iniuria is committed against my wife who is a filiafamilias, an action for iniuria will begin to be competent to me, to her father, and to herself.