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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.16.18.pr

Three Meanings of Munus and Their Derivatives

Passage 8832 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus explains the three meanings of the word 'munus'—gift, burden, and duty—and clarifies their etymological connections to other terms such as 'immunitas' (immunity) and 'municipes' (citizens of a municipality).

[PAULUS libro nono ad edictum. ] §50.16.18.pr'Munus' tribus modis dicitur: uno donum, et inde munera dici dari mittiue: altero onus, quod cum remittatur, uacationem militiae munerisque praestat inde immunitatem appellari. tertio officium, unde munera militaria et quosdam milites munificos uocari: igitur municipes dici, quod munera ciuilia capiant.
[PAULUS, in the ninth book on the Edict.] 'Munus' is used in three senses: first, as a gift, and thence gifts are said to be given or sent; second, as a burden, which, when it is remitted, grants exemption from military service and duty, whence it is called 'immunitas'; third, as a duty, whence we speak of 'military duties', and certain soldiers are called 'munifici'; therefore, they are called 'municipes' because they undertake civic duties.

Notes

  1. 50.16.18.prmunera dici dari mittiue — dici (to be said) introduces an accusative and infinitive construction with munera as its subject. dari mittiue (to be given or sent) are passive infinitives functioning as the complement of dici, forming the structure: 'it is said that munera (gifts) are given or sent'.
  2. 50.16.18.prquod cum remittatur — Inside the relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun quod (referring back to onus), a subordinate clause introduced by cum with the subjunctive remittatur (is remitted) is embedded. quod functions as the subject of the main verb of the relative clause, praestat (affords).
  3. 50.16.18.prmilites munificos — Although the adjective munificus commonly means 'bountiful' or 'generous', it is used here in its etymological sense derived from munus and facio, referring to 'soldiers who perform duties or manual labor'.
  4. 50.16.18.prmunicipes — The etymology of municipes (citizens of a municipality) is explained here as a combination of munera (civic duties) and capere (to take or undertake). The subjunctive capiant in the causal quod-clause indicates a subjective reason or reflects the indirect speech framework of the definitions.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.16.18.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.16.18.pr

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