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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.16.178.pr-50.16.178.3

Legal Meaning of Money Inheritance and Terms for Actions

Passage 8992 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpian defines and clarifies the legal scope of various general terms, including 'money' (pecunia), 'inheritance' (hereditas), 'action' (actio), 'petition' (petitio), 'prosecution' (persecutio), and 'owed' (debuit).

[IDEM libro quadragensimo nono ad Sabinum. ] §50.16.178.prPecuniae' uerbum non solum numeratam pecuniam complectitur, uerum omnem omnino pecuniam, hoc est omnia corpora: nam corpora quoque pecuniae appellatione contineri nemo est qui ambiget.
[THE SAME, in the forty-ninth book on Sabinus.] The word 'money' comprises not only ready money, but absolutely all property, that is, all corporeal things; for there is no one who doubts that corporeal things also are contained under the appellation of 'money'.
'H §50.16.178.1ereditas' iuris nomen est, quod et accessionem et decessionem in se recipit: hereditas autem uel maxime fructibus augetur.
'Inheritance' is a legal term, which admits of both increase and decrease; and an inheritance is increased especially by fruits.
' §50.16.178.2Actionis' uerbum et speciale est et generale. nam omnis actio dicitur, siue in personam siue in rem sit petitio: sed plerumque 'actiones' personales solemus dicere.
The word 'action' is both specific and general; for every petition is called an 'action', whether it be in personam or in rem.
'petitionis' autem uerbo in rem actiones significari uidentur.
But we are accustomed for the most part to call personal petitions 'actions', whereas by the word 'petition' actions in rem seem to be signified.
'persecutionis' uerbo extraordinarias persecutiones puto contineri, ut puta fideicommissorum et si quae aliae sunt, quae non habent iuris ordinarii exsecutionem.
By the word 'prosecution', I think extraordinary prosecutions are contained, such as those for fideicommissa, and any others that do not have the execution of the ordinary law.
H §50.16.178.3oc uerbum 'debuit' omnem omnino actionem comprehendere intellegitur, siue ciuilis siue honoraria siue fideicommissi fuit persecutio.
This word 'owed' is understood to comprehend absolutely every action, whether the prosecution was civil, or honorarian, or of a fideicommissum.

Notes

  1. 50.16.178.prnemo est qui ambiget — The relative clause `qui ambiget` would classically expect the subjunctive `ambigat`. The transmitted future indicative `ambiget` (from `ambigo`) functions either as a strong expression of certainty ('there is no one who will doubt') or reflects a post-classical shift towards the indicative in relative clauses of characteristic.
  2. 50.16.178.2siue in personam siue in rem sit petitio — This is a conditional-concessive clause introduced by `siue... siue...` ('whether... or...'), with the subjunctive verb `sit`. It qualifies the main clause `omnis actio dicitur`, explaining that any claim, whether in personam or in rem, falls under the general category of 'action'.
  3. 50.16.178.2fideicommissorum et si quae aliae sunt, quae non habent iuris ordinarii exsecutionem — `fideicommissorum` (of fideicommissa) is a genitive modifying the implied `persecutiones` introduced by `ut puta` (for instance). The subsequent clause `et si quae aliae sunt` (and if there are any others) is a conditional insertion, followed by the relative clause `quae non habent...` which modifies `aliae (persecutiones)`. This syntax highlights the nature of the *cognitio extraordinaria* which operates outside the ordinary civil procedure (*ius ordinarium*).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.16.178.pr-50.16.178.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.16.178.pr-50.16.178.3

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