Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.16.99.pr-50.16.99.3

Definitions of Notio, Contiguous Provinces, and Documents

Passage 8913 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpianus discusses the legal definitions of 'notio', 'contiguous provinces', and 'instruments', clarifying the scope of geographical proximity and the treatment of witnesses' presence as evidentiary material.

[ULPIANUS libro primo de officio consulis. ] §50.16.99.prNotionem' accipere possumus et cognitionem et iurisdictionem. '
[ULPIANUS, On the Office of Consul, book 1.] We can understand 'notio' as both investigation and jurisdiction.
§50.16.99.1Continentes prouincias' accipere debemus eas, quae Italiae iunctae sunt, ut puta Galliam: sed et prouinciam Siciliam magis inter continentes accipere nos oportet, quae modico freto Italia diuiditur. '
We ought to understand 'contiguous provinces' as those which are joined to Italy, such as Gallia; but it is more proper for us to include also the province of Sicilia among the contiguous provinces, which is separated from Italy by a narrow strait.
§50.16.99.2Instrumentorum' appellatione quae compraehendantur, perquam difficile erit separare: quae enim proprie sint instrumenta, propter quae dilatio danda sit, inde dinoscemus.
It will be extremely difficult to distinguish what is comprehended under the term 'instruments'; for we shall determine from this source what are properly instruments on account of which a postponement ought to be granted.
§50.16.99.3Si in praesentiam personae, quae instruere possit, dilatio petatur (puta qui actum gessit, licet in seruitute, uel qui actor fuit constitutus), putem uideri instrumentorum causa peti dilationem.
If a postponement is requested for the presence of a person who can supply information (for instance, one who conducted the transaction, even though in slavery, or one who was appointed as agent), I should think that the postponement is deemed to be requested for the sake of instruments.

Notes

  1. §50.16.99.prNotionem' accipere possumus et cognitionem et iurisdictionem — The accusative 'Notionem' is the direct object of the verb 'accipere', and the subsequent accusatives 'cognitionem' and 'iurisdictionem' function as predicate accusatives or appositives explaining its content. 'et... et' means 'both... and'.
  2. §50.16.99.1magis inter continentes accipere nos oportet — The impersonal verb 'oportet' governs an accusative and infinitive (A.C.I.) construction, where 'nos' is the subject accusative of 'accipere', and 'prouinciam Siciliam' is its object. 'magis' (rather, more properly) modalizes the appropriateness of this inclusion.
  3. §50.16.99.2Instrumentorum' appellatione quae compraehendantur — This is an indirect question clause introduced by 'quae' with the subjunctive 'compraehendantur'. The entire clause is placed at the beginning of the sentence as the object of the infinitive 'separare' in the main clause, forming a hyperbaton.
  4. §50.16.99.3putem uideri instrumentorum causa peti dilationem — The subjunctive 'putem' (1st person singular present) expresses a softened assertion ('I should think'). It governs an A.C.I. construction where 'uideri' ('to seem/be deemed') takes another nested A.C.I. 'dilationem peti' ('that the postponement is requested') as its subject.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.16.99.pr-50.16.99.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.16.99.pr-50.16.99.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.