Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §48.4.8.pr

Standing of Women to Accuse in Treason and Precedent

Passage 8171 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Papinian explains that even women are heard in trials for treason, citing the historical precedent of a woman named Iulia (historically Fulvia) who exposed the conspiracy of Sergius Catiline to the consul Cicero.

[PAPINIANUS libro tertio decimo responsorum. ] §48.4.8.prIn quaestionibus laesae maiestatis etiam mulieres audiuntur.

[PAPINIANUS, Book 13 of Opinions] In trials for treason, even women are heard.

coniurationem denique Sergii Catilinae Iulia mulier detexit et Marcum Tullium consulem indicium eius instruxit.

Indeed, a woman named Iulia exposed the conspiracy of Sergius Catiline, and her disclosure furnished the consul Marcus Tullius with information.

Notes

§48.4.8.prindicium eius instruxit — The noun indicium is a neuter singular nominative, forming the subject "her disclosure/information" with the genitive demonstrative pronoun eius. The verb instruxit means "to furnish with information" or "to brief," taking the accusative Marcum Tullium consulem as its direct object. Historically, it was Fulvia who exposed Catiline's conspiracy to Cicero, but the manuscript reads Iulia, which is followed in the translations.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §48.4.8.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:48.4.8.pr

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