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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.2.14.pr

Exemption of Decurions and Former Decurions from Torture

Passage 8695 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section introduces the rescript of the deified Pius prohibiting inquiry by torture against condemned decurions, and explains the rule that even former decurions are not to be tortured in consideration of their former dignity.

[PAULUS libro primo quaestionum. ] §50.2.14.prDe decurione damnato non debere quaestionem haberi diuus Pius rescripsit.
[PAULUS, In the First Book of Questions.] The deified Pius rescribed that an inquiry by torture ought not to be held concerning a condemned decurion.
unde etiam si desierit decurio esse, deinde damnetur, non esse torquendum in memoriam prioris dignitatis placet.
Hence, even if a person has ceased to be a decurion and is subsequently condemned, it is accepted that he is not to be tortured, out of respect for his prior dignity.

Notes

  1. 50.2.14.prquaestionem — The noun quaestio (here in the accusative form quaestionem) refers specifically to an "inquiry by torture" allowed under Roman legal procedure for certain classes, rather than a mere general or verbal questioning.
  2. 50.2.14.prin memoriam prioris dignitatis — The prepositional phrase in memoriam with the genitive prioris dignitatis literally means 'into the memory of prior dignity', but functions idiomatically to mean 'out of respect for' or 'in consideration of' the social status and privileges they formerly held.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.2.14.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.2.14.pr

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