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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.16.5.pr-50.16.5.1

Distinction of Thing and Money and Meaning of Work

Passage 8819 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus explains the difference in scope between 'thing' and 'money', and quotes Labeo to clarify that 'work' in a contract of hire refers to a completed physical object rather than mere labor.

[IDEM libro secundo ad edictum. ] §50.16.5.prRei' appellatio latior est quam 'pecuniae', quia etiam ea, quae extra computationem patrimonii nostri sunt, continet, cum pecuniae significatio ad ea referatur, quae in patrimonio sunt.
[The same, in the second book on the Edict.] The term 'thing' is broader than that of 'money', because it contains even those items which are outside the calculation of our patrimony, whereas the meaning of 'money' refers to those things which are in our patrimony.
' §50.16.5.1Opere locato conducto': his uerbis Labeo significari ait id opus, quod Graeci ἀποτέλεσμα uocant, non ἔργον, id est ex opere facto corpus aliquod perfectum.
By these words 'work leased and hired', Labeo says that that work is signified which the Greeks call 'apotelesma' and not 'ergon', that is, some completed body from the work done.

Notes

  1. §50.16.5.prcum pecuniae significatio ad ea referatur — The conjunction cum here expresses contrast ('whereas') or cause ('since'), taking the subjunctive present referatur. It stands in contrast with the preceding quia clause, highlighting the difference in scope between the definitions of res ('thing') and pecunia ('money').
  2. §50.16.5.1id est ex opere facto corpus aliquod perfectum — This phrase concretely explains Labeo's interpretation that the word opus refers not to mere activity (ergon) but to an independent physical object (corpus) resulting from the completion of the work. The phrase ex opere facto indicates the origin or cause ('arising from the work done').

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.16.5.pr-50.16.5.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.16.5.pr-50.16.5.1

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