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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §48.5.27.pr-48.5.27.1

Limits on Third-Party Accusations of a Wife's Adultery

Passage 8201 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The passage explains that while a marriage subsisting, a wife cannot be accused of adultery by third parties unless the husband is first accused of pandering, but it is useful for others to revive an accusation that the husband has abandoned.

[IDEM libro tertio disputationum. ] §48.5.27.prConstante matrimonio ab iis, qui extra maritum ad accusationem admittuntur, accusari mulier adulterii non potest: probatam enim a marito uxorem et quiescens matrimonium non debet alius turbare atque inquietare, nisi prius lenocinii maritum accusauerit.
[THE SAME, in the third book of Disputations.] While the marriage is subsisting, a wife cannot be accused of adultery by those who, other than the husband, are admitted to bring an accusation; for another person ought not to disturb and disquiet a wife approved by her husband and a peaceful marriage, unless he has first accused the husband of pandering.
§48.5.27.1Derelictam uero a marito accusationem etiam ab alio excitari utile est.
But it is useful that an accusation abandoned by the husband be revived even by another.

Notes

  1. §48.5.27.prConstante matrimonio — Ablative absolute of time/condition expressing the subsistence of the marriage.
  2. §48.5.27.prprobatam enim a marito uxorem — probatam is a perfect passive participle meaning "approved" or "accepted" (as chaste) by the husband. Both uxorem and the subsequent quiescens matrimonium serve as the direct objects (accusative) of the infinitives turbare and inquietare.
  3. §48.5.27.1Derelictam uero a marito accusationem etiam ab alio excitari utile est — An accusative with infinitive construction is used as the subject of the impersonal expression utile est, where derelictam ... accusationem is the subject accusative and excitari (passive infinitive) is the verb.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §48.5.27.pr-48.5.27.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:48.5.27.pr-48.5.27.1

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