[ULPIANUS libro octauo decimo ad edictum. ] §9.1.1.prSi quadrupes pauperiem fecisse dicetur, actio ex lege duodecim tabularum descendit: quae lex uoluit aut dari id quod nocuit, id est id animal quod noxiam commisit, aut aestimationem noxiae offerre.
[ULPIANUS, from the eighteenth book on the Edict.] If a quadruped is said to have caused damage, the action derives from the Law of the Twelve Tables: which law willed either that that which did the harm, that is, the animal which committed the mischief, be surrendered, or that the valuation of the damage be offered.
§9.1.1.1Noxia autem est ipsum delictum.
Now, "noxia" is the delict itself.
§9.1.1.2Quae actio ad omnes quadrupedes pertinet.
This action pertains to all quadrupeds.
§9.1.1.3Ait praetor 'pauperiem fecisse'.
The praetor says "to have caused damage".
pauperies est damnum sine iniuria facientis datum: nec enim potest animal iniuria fecisse, quod sensu caret.
"Pauperies" is damage given without wrongfulness on the part of the doer: for an animal, which lacks reason, cannot have committed a wrong.
§9.1.1.4Itaque, ut Seruius scribit, tunc haec actio locum habet, cum commota feritate nocuit quadrupes, puta si equus calcitrosus calce percusserit, aut bos cornu petere solitus petierit, aut mulae propter nimiam ferociam: quod si propter loci iniquitatem aut propter culpam mulionis, aut si plus iusto onerata quadrupes in aliquem onus euerterit, haec actio cessabit damnique iniuriae agetur.
Therefore, as Servius writes, this action has place when a quadruped has done harm after its wild nature was aroused, for instance, if a kicking horse has struck with its hoof, or an ox accustomed to gore has gored, or mules by reason of their excessive ferocity; but if because of the badness of the place, or because of the fault of the muleteer, or if a quadruped, laden beyond what is proper, has overturned its load upon someone, this action will cease and an action for wrongful damage will be brought.
§9.1.1.5Sed et si canis, cum duceretur ab aliquo, asperitate sua euaserit et alicui damnum dederit: si contineri firmius ab alio poterit uel si per eum locum induci non debuit, haec actio cessabit et tenebitur qui canem tenebat.
But also, if a dog, when being led by someone, has escaped because of its own roughness and caused damage to someone: if it could have been held more firmly by another, or if it ought not to have been led through that place, this action will cease and he who was holding the dog will be held liable.
§9.1.1.6Sed et si instigatu alterius fera damnum dederit, cessabit haec actio.
But also, if a wild animal has caused damage at the instigation of another, this action will cease.
§9.1.1.7Et generaliter haec actio locum habet, quotiens contra naturam fera mota pauperiem dedit: ideoque si equus dolore concitatus calce petierit, cessare istam actionem, sed eum, qui equum percusserit aut vulneraverit, in factum magis quam lege aquilia teneri, utique ideo, quia non ipse suo corpore damnum dedit.
And generally, this action has place whenever a beast, moved contrary to its nature, has caused damage: and therefore, if a horse, excited by pain, has struck with its hoof, that action ceases, but he who struck or wounded the horse is liable under an action on the case rather than under the Aquilian law, especially because he did not himself cause the damage with his own body.
at si, cum equum permulsisset quis uel palpatus esset, calce eum percusserit, erit actioni locus.
But if, when someone had stroked or patted a horse, it kicked him, there will be place for the action.
§9.1.1.8Et si alia quadrupes aliam concitauit ut damnum daret, eius quae concitauit nomine agendum erit.
And if one quadruped has excited another to cause damage, the action must be brought in the name of the one which excited it.
§9.1.1.9Siue autem corpore suo pauperiem quadrupes dedit, siue per aliam rem, quam tetigit quadrupes, haec actio locum habebit: ut puta si plaustro bos obtriuit aliquem uel alia re deiecta.
But whether the quadruped caused the damage with its own body, or through another thing which the quadruped touched, this action will have place: as, for example, if an ox has crushed someone with a wagon, or by knocking down some other thing.
§9.1.1.10In bestiis autem propter naturalem feritatem haec actio locum non habet: et ideo si ursus fugit et sic nocuit, non potest quondam dominus conueniri, quia desinit dominus esse, ubi fera euasit: et ideo et si eum occidi, meum corpus est.
But in the case of wild beasts, because of their natural ferocity, this action has no place: and therefore if a bear has escaped and thus done harm, the former owner cannot be sued, because he ceases to be the owner when the wild beast has escaped: and therefore even if I kill it, it is my property.
§9.1.1.11Cum arietes uel boues commisissent et alter alterum occidit, Quintus Mucius distinxit, ut si quidem is perisset qui adgressus erat, cessaret actio, si is, qui non prouocauerat, competeret actio: quamobrem eum sibi aut noxam sarcire aut in noxam dedere oportere.
When rams or oxen have fought and one has killed the other, Quintus Mucius made a distinction: that if indeed the one which had attacked perished, the action ceases; but if the one which had not provoked the fight perished, the action is available; wherefore he must either make good the damage to him, or surrender the animal as a noxa.
§9.1.1.12Et cum etiam in quadrupedibus noxa caput sequitur, aduersus dominum haec actio datur, non cuius fuerit quadrupes, cum noceret, sed cuius nunc est.
And since also in the case of quadrupeds liability follows the person, this action is given against the owner, not who owned the quadruped when it did the harm, but who owns it now.
§9.1.1.13Plane si ante litem contestatam decesserit animal, extincta erit actio.
Clearly, if the animal dies before joinder of issue, the action will be extinguished.
§9.1.1.14Noxae autem dedere est animal tradere uiuum.
Now, to surrender as a noxa is to hand over the animal alive.
Demum si commune plurium sit animal, aduersus singulos erit in solidum noxalis actio, sicuti in homine.
Finally, if the animal is owned in common by several persons, a noxal action for the whole amount will lie against each individual, just as in the case of a human being.
§9.1.1.15Interdum autem dominus in hoc non conuenietur, ut noxae dedat, sed etiam in solidum, ut puta si in iure interrogatus, an sua quadrupes esset, responderit non esse suam: nam si constiterit esse eius, in solidum condemnabitur.
Sometimes, however, the owner will be sued not for the purpose of surrendering it as a noxa, but even for the whole amount, as, for example, if when questioned in court whether the quadruped was his, he replied that it was not his; for if it is established that it is his, he will be condemned for the whole amount.
§9.1.1.16Si post litem contestatam ab alio sit animal occisum, quia domino legis Aquiliae actio competit, ratio in iudicio habebitur legis Aquiliae, quia dominus noxae dedendae facultatem amiserit: ergo ex iudicio proposito litis aestimationem offeret, nisi paratus fuerit actionem mandare aduersus eum qui occidit.
If after joinder of issue the animal is killed by another, since the owner is entitled to an action under the Aquilian law, account will be taken in the trial of the Aquilian law, because the owner has lost the power of surrendering it as a noxa: therefore, in accordance with the judgment of the proposed suit, he must offer the valuation of the suit, unless he is prepared to assign his action against the person who killed it.
§9.1.1.17Hanc actionem nemo dubitauerit heredi dari ceterisque successoribus: item aduersus heredes ceterosque non iure successionis, sed eo iure, quo domini sint, competit.
No one will doubt that this action is given to the heir and other successors: likewise, it is available against heirs and others, not by right of succession, but by that right by which they are owners.