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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §48.5.23.pr-48.5.23.4

Conditions for a Father's Right to Kill Adulterers

Passage 8197 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text discusses the equal treatment of natural and adoptive fathers under the adultery law, the locations where the right to kill may be exercised, and the reasoning that privileges the father over the husband due to paternal affection.

[PAPINIANUS libro primo de adulteris. ] §48.5.23.prNec in ea lege naturalis ab adoptiuo pater separatur.
[PAPINIAN, in the first book on Adulterers.] And in that law, the natural father is not separated from the adoptive father.
§48.5.23.1In accusationem uiduae filiae non habet pater ius praecipuum.
In the accusation of a widowed daughter, the father does not have a preferential right.
§48.5.23.2Ius occidendi patri conceditur domi suae, licet ibi filia non habitat, uel in domo generi: sed domus et pro domicilio accipienda est, ut in lege Cornelia de iniuriis.
The right to kill is granted to the father in his own house, even if the daughter does not reside there, or in the house of his son-in-law; but 'house' is also to be understood as a domicile, as in the Cornelian law on injuries.
§48.5.23.3Sed qui occidere potest adulterum, multo magis contumelia poterit iure adficere.
But he who can kill an adulterer will, with much more reason, be able lawfully to inflict an injury.
§48.5.23.4Ideo autem patri, non marito mulierem et omnem adulterum remissum est occidere, quod plerumque pietas paterni nominis consilium pro liberis capit: ceterum mariti calor et impetus facile decernentis fuit refrenandus.
Moreover, the reason why the killing of the woman and every adulterer is permitted to the father and not to the husband is that, in most cases, the affection of the paternal name makes a decision for the benefit of the children; whereas the heat and impulse of the husband, who easily makes a decision, had to be restrained.

Notes

  1. §48.5.23.2licet ibi filia non habitat — The conjunction licet ('although') normally takes the subjunctive mood in classical Latin, but here it is followed by the indicative present (habitat). This illustrates a usage common in later Latin and legal texts, where licet is used with the indicative to form a concessive clause, similar to quamquam.
  2. §48.5.23.4remissum est — This functions as an impersonal construction, where the infinitive clause occidere ('to kill') with its accusative subjects mulierem et omnem adulterum forms the real subject of the verb. Here, remittere is used in the sense of 'to permit' or 'to excuse from punishment.'
  3. §48.5.23.4facile decernentis — This is a present participle in the genitive singular, modifying the preceding noun mariti ('of the husband'). It describes the characteristic of 'easily making a [rash] decision,' highlighting the husband's emotional hastiness in contrast with the father's rational and affectionate judgment.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §48.5.23.pr-48.5.23.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:48.5.23.pr-48.5.23.4

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