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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §8.3.17.pr

Allocation of Water from a Public River for Irrigation

Passage 1426 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

A rescript of the Emperors Antoninus and Verus stating that water from a public river should be divided for irrigation in proportion to land ownership, and that water may be drawn only if it causes no injury to others.

[PAPIRIUS IUSTUS libro primo de constitutionibus. ] §8.3.17.prImperatores Antoninus et Uerus Augusti rescripserunt aquam de flumine publico pro modo possessionum ad irrigandos agros diuidi oportere, nisi proprio iure quis plus sibi datum ostenderit.
[PAPIRIUS IUSTUS, On Constitutions, Book 1] The Emperors Antoninus and Verus Augusti wrote in a rescript that water from a public river ought to be divided for irrigating fields in proportion to the size of the possessions, unless someone should show that more was given to him by a specific right.
item rescripserunt aquam ita demum permitti duci, si sine iniuria alterius id fiat.
They also wrote in a rescript that water is permitted to be drawn only if this is done without injury to another.

Notes

  1. 8.3.17.prpro modo possessionum — Meaning 'in proportion to the size of the possessions.' The preposition 'pro' expresses proportion or rate, indicating the principle that the distribution of public resources is determined according to the size of each person's landholding.
  2. 8.3.17.prita demum ... si — A correlative construction expressing a strict condition: 'only if...' or 'on the condition that...' The adverbial phrase 'ita demum' (only then, only under such conditions) is paired with the conditional clause introduced by 'si'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §8.3.17.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:8.3.17.pr

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