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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §48.8.16.pr

Penalties for Murder by Status and Capital Punishment of Decurions

Passage 8255 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Modestinus explains that the punishment for murder varies based on the offender's social class, noting that executing decurions requires consulting the emperor except in cases of uncontrollable riot.

[MODESTINUS libro tertio de poenis. ] §48.8.16.prQui caedem admiserunt sponte doloue malo, in honore aliquo positi deportari solent, qui secundo gradu sunt, capite puniuntur.
[MODESTINUS, On Punishments, Book 3] Those who have committed murder voluntarily or with malice aforethought, if they are placed in some position of honor, are usually deported; those who are of the second rank are punished with death.
facilius hoc in decuriones fieri potest, sic tamen, ut consulto prius principe et iubente id fiat: nisi forte tumultus aliter sedari non possit.
This can be done more easily in the case of decurions, yet only in such a way that it is done after first consulting the emperor and by his order, unless perchance a riot cannot be otherwise appeased.

Notes

  1. §48.8.16.prQui caedem admiserunt sponte doloue malo, in honore aliquo positi deportari solent, qui secundo gradu sunt, capite puniuntur — The initial relative clause Qui caedem admiserunt serves as the main theme of the sentence, which is then divided into two contrasting groups based on status: those in honore aliquo positi (in a position of honor) and those qui secundo gradu sunt (of the second rank). The latter group also inherits the premise of having committed murder.
  2. §48.8.16.prconsulto prius principe et iubente — consulto... principe is an ablative absolute construction consisting of a perfect passive participle and a noun in the ablative ('the emperor having been first consulted'), which is conjoined with the present active participle iubente ('and commanding') to express a restrictive condition.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §48.8.16.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:48.8.16.pr

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