Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §8.2.23.pr-8.2.23.1

Interpretation of Light Servitudes and Future Buildings

Passage 1391 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This chunk discusses the interpretive differences regarding future lights based on the wording of servitudes ("maintaining existing lights" vs. "no obstruction of lights"), and states that servitudes can be established on or for future buildings.

[POMPONIUS libro trigensimo tertio ad Sabinum. ] §8.2.23.prSi seruitus imposita fuerit 'lumina quae nunc sunt, ut ita sint', de futuris luminibus nihil caueri uidetur: quod si ita sit cautum 'ne luminibus officiatur', ambigua est scriptura, utrum ne his luminibus officiatur quae nunc sint, an etiam his quae postea quoque fuerint: et humanius est uerbo generali omne lumen significari, siue quod in praesenti siue quod post tempus conuentionis contigerit.
[POMPONIUS, in the thirty-third book on Sabinus.] If a servitude has been imposed in the terms "the lights which now exist, that they shall remain as they are", it seems that nothing is provided for future lights; but if it has been so provided "that the lights be not obstructed", the wording is ambiguous, whether it means that those lights which now exist be not obstructed, or also those which shall also exist hereafter; and it is more equitable that by the general term every light is meant, whether that which exists at present, or that which has arisen after the time of the agreement.
§8.2.23.1Futuro quoque aedificio, quod nondum est, uel imponi uel adquiri seruitus potest.
Also on or for a future building, which does not yet exist, a servitude can be either imposed or acquired.

Notes

  1. §8.2.23.prlumina quae nunc sunt, ut ita sint — A direct quotation of the agreed wording in establishing the servitude. The `ut` clause (`ut ita sint`) functions as a noun clause specifying the content of the agreement ("that they shall remain as they are").
  2. §8.2.23.prne luminibus officiatur — The intransitive verb `officere` (which takes the dative to mean "to obstruct, interfere with") is used in the impersonal passive. The dative `luminibus` is retained as a dative, meaning "lest the lights be obstructed".
  3. §8.2.23.pruerbo generali omne lumen significari — An accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction, where `omne lumen` is the subject accusative of the infinitive `significari`. It functions as the subject of the impersonal phrase `humanius est` ("it is more equitable/humane").
  4. §8.2.23.1Futuro quoque aedificio — Dative modifying `imponi` (to be imposed) and `adquiri` (to be acquired). It indicates that a servitude can be established even for or upon a future building that does not yet exist.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §8.2.23.pr-8.2.23.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:8.2.23.pr-8.2.23.1

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.