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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.17.133.pr

Betterment but Not Worsening of a Master via Slaves

Passage 9193 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains the legal principle that a master's condition can be improved through their slaves, but cannot be made worse.

[IDEM libro octauo ad edictum prouinciale. ] §50.17.133.prMelior condicio nostra per seruos fieri potest, deterior fieri non potest.
[THE SAME, in the eighth book on the provincial edict.] Our condition can be made better through our slaves, but it cannot be made worse.

Notes

  1. §50.17.133.prcondicio — Here, condicio refers to the "legal or patrimonial condition/status" of the master. It reflects the Roman law rule that while a slave can acquire rights for the master, they cannot make the master's position worse by imposing liabilities without the master's consent.
  2. §50.17.133.prdeterior — In the second clause, the subject condicio nostra is omitted and understood from the first clause: deterior [condicio nostra] fieri non potest.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.17.133.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.17.133.pr

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