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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §48.18.9.pr-48.18.9.3

Torture in Pecuniary Cases and Ban on Testimony Against Masters

Passage 8368 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This passage regulates the requirements and restrictions for applying torture to slaves in pecuniary cases, prohibits interrogation and disclosures of slaves against their masters, and outlines special provisions for deported persons and conditionally free slaves.

[MARCIANUS libro secundo de iudiciis publicis. ] §48.18.9.prDiuus Pius rescripsit posse de seruis haberi quaestionem in pecuniaria causa, si aliter ueritas inueniri non possit. quod et aliis rescriptis cauetur.
[MARCIANUS, in the second book on Public Judgments.] The deified Pius wrote in a rescript that torture could be applied to slaves in a pecuniary case, if the truth cannot be found otherwise; which is also provided for in other rescripts.
sed hoc ita est, ut non facile in re pecuniaria quaestio habeatur: sed si aliter ueritas inueniri non possit nisi per tormenta, licet habere quaestionem, ut et diuus Seuerus rescripsit.
But this is to be understood in such a way that torture is not easily applied in a pecuniary matter; but if the truth cannot be found otherwise than through torture, it is permitted to apply torture, as the deified Severus also wrote in a rescript.
licet itaque et de seruis alienis haberi quaestionem, si ita res suadeat.
Therefore, it is also permitted to apply torture to the slaves of others, if the circumstances so require.
§48.18.9.1Ex quibus causis quaestio de seruis aduersus dominos haberi non debet, ex his causis ne quidem interrogationem ualere: et multo minus indicia seruorum contra dominos admittenda sunt.
In those cases in which torture of slaves against their masters ought not to be applied, in those cases not even a simple interrogation is valid; and much less should the disclosures of slaves against their masters be admitted.
§48.18.9.2De eo, qui in insulam deportatus est, quaestio habenda non est, ut diuus Pius rescripsit.
Regarding a person who has been deported to an island, torture must not be applied, as the deified Pius wrote in a rescript.
§48.18.9.3Sed nec de statulibero in pecuniariis causis quaestio habenda est nisi deficiente condicione.
But neither should torture be applied to a conditionally free slave in pecuniary cases, except when the condition fails.

Notes

  1. §48.18.9.prhoc ita est, ut — Introduces a restrictive clause with `ut`. It indicates a limitation or condition under which the preceding statement holds true ("this is true only on the condition that...").
  2. §48.18.9.1ne quidem interrogationem ualere — An accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction continuing the legal opinions or general principles, despite the lack of an explicit governing verb in the immediate clause. `ne quidem` emphasizes that in cases where torture (`quaestio`) is barred, not even a simple "interrogation" (`interrogatio`) is legally valid.
  3. §48.18.9.3deficiente condicione — An ablative absolute construction. It means "when the condition fails" (referring to the condition for manumission imposed on a `statuliber`). This implies that as long as there is still a possibility of the condition being fulfilled, the slave is protected from being tortured.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §48.18.9.pr-48.18.9.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:48.18.9.pr-48.18.9.3

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