Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §9.2.45.pr-9.2.45.5

Self-Defense and Liability in Accidental Collisions

Passage 1562 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus discusses the interpretation of "knowledge" under the Lex Aquilia, the right of action after a slave's recovery, accidental collisions, the requirements and limits of self-defense, and the liability for removing a sound wall.

[PAULUS libro decimo ad Sabinum. ] §9.2.45.prScientiam hic pro patientia accipimus, ut qui prohibere potuit teneatur, si non fecerit.
[PAULUS, in the tenth book on Sabinus.] Here we take "knowledge" to mean "toleration," so that he who was able to prevent it is held liable if he did not do so.
§9.2.45.1Lege Aquilia agi potest et sanato uulnerato seruo.
An action can be brought under the Lex Aquilia even if the wounded slave has healed.
§9.2.45.2Si meum seruum, cum liberum putares, occideris, lege Aquilia teneberis.
If you kill my slave, thinking him to be a free man, you will be held liable under the Lex Aquilia.
§9.2.45.3Cum stramenta ardentia transilirent duo, concurrerunt amboque ceciderunt et alter flamma consumptus est: nihil eo nomine potest agi, si non intellegitur, uter ab utro euersus sit.
When two persons were jumping over burning straw, they collided and both fell, and one was consumed by the flame: no action can be brought on that account, if it is not understood which of them was knocked down by the other.
§9.2.45.4Qui, cum aliter tueri se non possent, damni culpam dederint, innoxii sunt: uim enim ui defendere omnes leges omniaque iura permittunt.
Those who, since they could not otherwise protect themselves, have caused damage through fault, are guiltless: for all laws and all rights permit the repelling of force by force.
sed si defendendi mei causa lapidem in aduersarium misero, sed non eum, sed praetereuntem percussero, tenebor lege Aquilia: illum enim solum qui uim infert ferire conceditur, et hoc, si tuendi dumtaxat, non etiam ulciscendi causa factum sit.
But if, for the purpose of defending myself, I throw a stone at my adversary, but strike not him, but a passerby, I shall be held liable under the Lex Aquilia: for it is permitted to strike only him who applies force, and this only if it is done for the sake of defense and not of vengeance.
§9.2.45.5Qui idoneum parietem sustulit, damni iniuria domino eius tenetur.
He who has pulled down a sound wall is liable to its owner for wrongful damage.

Notes

  1. §9.2.45.1et sanato uulnerato seruo — The phrase sanato uulnerato seruo is an ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun seruus and two participles (uulnerato, sanato), expressing a concessive meaning ('even though the wounded slave has healed'). The conjunction et functions adverbially to mean 'even'.
  2. §9.2.45.3uter ab utro — An expression using a double interrogative pronoun. The nominative uter ('which of the two') and the ablative ab utro ('by which of the two') are combined to form the core of the indirect question uter ab utro euersus sit ('which of the two was knocked down by the other').
  3. §9.2.45.4tuendi dumtaxat, non etiam ulciscendi causa — The ablative noun causa ('for the sake of') governs the genitive gerunds tuendi ('of defending') and ulciscendi ('of avenging'). The adverb dumtaxat limits the former to mean 'only/merely'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §9.2.45.pr-9.2.45.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:9.2.45.pr-9.2.45.5

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.