Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §48.8.11.pr-48.8.11.2

Limits on Circumcision and Delivering Slaves to Beasts

Passage 8250 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This chunk outlines the restriction of circumcision to Jewish sons and the punishment for performing it on non-Jews, as well as the prohibition against delivering slaves to wild beasts without judicial authorization.

[MODESTINUS libro sexto regularum. ] §48.8.11.prCircumcidere Iudaeis filios suos tantum rescripto diui Pii permittitur: in non eiusdem religionis qui hoc fecerit, castrantis poena irrogatur.
[MODESTINUS, Rules, Book 6] It is permitted only for Jews to circumcise their own sons by a rescript of the deified Pius; on anyone of a different religion who does this, the penalty for castration is imposed.
§48.8.11.1Seruo sine iudice ad bestias dato non solum qui uendidit poena, uerum et qui comparauit tenebitur.
If a slave is given to wild beasts without a judge, not only the one who sold him but also the one who purchased him will be held liable to punishment.
§48.8.11.2Post legem Petroniam et senatus consulta ad eam legem pertinentia dominis potestas ablata est ad bestias depugnandas suo arbitrio seruos tradere: oblato tamen iudici seruo, si iusta sit domini querella, sic poenae tradetur.
After the Lex Petronia and the senatusconsulta pertaining to that law, the power was taken away from masters to deliver slaves of their own will to fight with wild beasts; however, if the slave is presented to a judge and the master's complaint is just, he shall thus be delivered to the punishment.

Notes

  1. 48.8.11.prin non eiusdem religionis — An accusative noun (such as eum or eos) is omitted after 'in'. 'non eiusdem religionis' is a genitive of quality modifying the omitted noun, meaning 'against one who is not of the same religion' (i.e., a non-Jew).
  2. 48.8.11.1Seruo sine iudice ad bestias dato — An ablative absolute construction formed by the noun 'seruo' and the participle 'dato'. It functions as a conditional or situational clause: 'if a slave has been given to wild beasts without a judge'.
  3. 48.8.11.2dominis — A dative of separation associated with the passive verb 'ablata est' (from aufero, 'to take away'). It expresses from whom the power was taken: 'from the masters'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §48.8.11.pr-48.8.11.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:48.8.11.pr-48.8.11.2

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.