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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.17.85.pr-50.17.85.2

Favor for Dowries, Continued Validity, and Equitable Relief

Passage 9145 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This chunk discusses the favor shown to dowries in ambiguous cases, the continuation of validly established relations despite subsequent obstacles, and the tempering of matters by just decrees when natural reason or legal doubts delay a claim.

[IDEM libro sexto quaestionum. ] §50.17.85.prIn ambiguis pro dotibus respondere melius est.
[THE SAME, from his sixth book of Questions.] In ambiguous cases, it is better to answer in favor of dowries.
§50.17.85.1Non est nouum, ut quae semel utiliter constituta sunt, durent, licet ille casus exstiterit, a quo initium capere non potuerunt.
It is not novel that things which have once been validly established should continue, even though that circumstance has arisen from which they could not have taken their beginning.
§50.17.85.2Quotiens aequitatem desiderii naturalis ratio aut dubitatio iuris moratur, iustis decretis res temperanda est.
Whenever natural reason or doubt about the law delays the equity of a demand, the matter must be tempered by just decrees.

Notes

  1. 50.17.85.prpro dotibus — The preposition pro with the ablative is used here in the sense of 'in favor of' or 'for the benefit of', showing support for dowries.
  2. 50.17.85.1ut quae semel utiliter constituta sunt, durent — This is an ut-clause functioning as the subject of 'non est nouum' (it is not novel). 'quae' is a neuter plural relative pronoun including its antecedent (e.g., 'ea'), meaning 'things which have been validly established'.
  3. 50.17.85.2aequitatem desiderii naturalis ratio aut dubitatio iuris moratur — There is a hyperbaton (word order inversion) where 'aequitatem desiderii' (the equity of a demand), which is the object of the verb 'moratur', is placed before the subject 'naturalis ratio aut dubitatio iuris' (natural reason or doubt about the law). 'desiderii' is an objective genitive indicating the object of the demand.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.17.85.pr-50.17.85.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.17.85.pr-50.17.85.2

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