Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §48.15.5.pr

Harboring Runaway Slaves and Fabian Law Liability

Passage 8333 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Modestinus replies that a person who harbors another's runaway slave cannot escape liability under the Fabian law merely by raising a dispute over the slave's ownership.

[MODESTINUS libro septimo decimo responsorum. ] §48.15.5.prRespondit eum, qui fugitiuum alienum suscepisse et celasse doceatur, ex eo, quod proprietatis quaestionem referret, crimen, si probetur, euitare minime posse.
[MODESTINUS, Book XVII of Responses.] He replied that a person who is proved to have received and concealed another's runaway slave cannot at all escape the charge, if it be proved, on the ground that he raises a question of ownership.

Notes

  1. §48.15.5.preum ... posse — An accusative-with-infinitive (AcI) construction introduced by the main verb `respondit` (he replied), where the accusative pronoun `eum` serves as the subject of the infinitive `posse`. `eum` is modified by the relative clause `qui...doceatur`.
  2. §48.15.5.prex eo, quod proprietatis quaestionem referret — Meaning "on the ground that he raises a question of ownership." The prepositional phrase `ex eo` is explained by the following `quod` clause to express the reason. The imperfect subjunctive `referret` indicates that this is a subjective defense raised by the accused.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §48.15.5.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:48.15.5.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.