Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §5.2.4.pr

Rejection of Unjust Wills Influenced by Stepmothers

Passage 967 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Gaius argues that one must not agree with parents who, corrupted by a stepmother's influence, leave testaments that do injustice to their own children.

[GAIUS libro singulari ad legem Glitiam. ] §5.2.4.prNon est enim consentiendum parentibus, qui iniuriam aduersus liberos suos testamento inducunt: quod plerumque faciunt, maligne circa sanguinem suum inferentes iudicium, nouercalibus delenimentis instigationibusue corrupti.
[GAIUS in his single book on the Glitian Law.] For one must not yield to parents who introduce an injustice against their own children in their testament; which they usually do, corrupted by the blandishments or instigations of a stepmother, rendering a malevolent judgment regarding their own blood.

Notes

  1. §5.2.4.prNon est enim consentiendum parentibus — The phrase 'non est consentiendum' is an impersonal passive periphrastic construction of the intransitive verb 'consentio', expressing necessity or obligation ('one must not yield/agree'). 'parentibus' is the dative object governed by this construction.
  2. §5.2.4.prquod plerumque faciunt — The relative pronoun 'quod' (neuter singular accusative) is used transitionally to refer back to the action of the preceding clause ('iniuriam... inducere') and serves as the direct object of 'faciunt'.
  3. §5.2.4.prmaligne circa sanguinem suum inferentes iudicium — The present participle 'inferentes' (nominative plural masculine) agrees with the implied subject of 'faciunt' (the parents), describing an attendant circumstance. 'sanguinem suum' ('their own blood') is a metonymy for their biological children, and 'circa' is used here as a preposition meaning 'regarding' or 'concerning'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §5.2.4.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:5.2.4.pr

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