Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §7.4.18.pr

Usufruct Bequeathed to an Estate Slave Before Acceptance

Passage 1276 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains that a usufruct bequeathed to a slave of an inheritance before its acceptance passes to the heir upon acceptance and does not perish.

[POMPONIUS libro tertio ad Sabinum. ] §7.4.18.prSi seruo hereditario ante aditam hereditatem legatus usus fructus fuisset, magis placet adita hereditate eum usum fructum ad te transire nec interire quasi mutato dominio, quia nec dies ante cesserit, quam tu heres extiteris.
[POMPONIUS in the third book on Sabinus.] If a usufruct had been bequeathed to a slave of an inheritance before the inheritance was accepted, the more approved opinion is that, upon the acceptance of the inheritance, that usufruct passes to you and does not perish as if there had been a change of ownership, because the day of the bequest does not vest before you become the heir.

Notes

  1. §7.4.18.prante aditam hereditatem — The preposition `ante` is followed by the noun `hereditatem` and the perfect passive participle `aditam`, representing the action itself like a noun: "before the acceptance of the inheritance" (the so-called *ab urbe condita* construction).
  2. §7.4.18.prdies ante cesserit, quam — In Roman law, the phrase `dies cedit` (literally, "the day begins to run") is a technical term meaning "the right to the legacy vests." Here, in conjunction with the `nec... ante... quam` ("not before..." where `nec` is at the beginning of the clause) construction, it indicates that the vesting day does not arrive until you become the heir (`tu heres extiteris`).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §7.4.18.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:7.4.18.pr

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