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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §9.4.7.pr-9.4.7.1

Possession Requirement in Noxal Actions and Seller's Exemption

Passage 1588 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This chunk discusses the requirement for bringing a noxal action (that the slave must be in the defendant's possession) and the exemption of the seller from liability once the buyer of the slave has been sued.

[IDEM libro tertio ad edictum. ] §9.4.7.prNoxalis autem non alias datur, nisi apud me sit seruus: et si apud me sit, licet eo tempore non fuit, quo delinquebat, teneor, et heres meus tenetur, si noxius uiuat.
[THE SAME, Book 3 on the Edict] However, a noxal action is not granted under any other circumstances than if the slave is in my possession; and if he is in my possession, even though he was not in it at the time when he committed the offense, I am held liable, and my heir is also held liable, provided that the wrongdoer is still living.
§9.4.7.1Pomponius ait, si emptor serui noxali conuentus sit, uenditorem, quo sciente factum est, conueniri iam non posse.
Pomponius says that if the buyer of a slave has been sued by a noxal action, the seller, with whose knowledge the deed was committed, can no longer be sued.

Notes

  1. §9.4.7.prNoxalis — The feminine nominative singular form of the adjective noxalis (noxal), with the feminine noun actio (action) being omitted. 'Noxalis actio' refers to a 'noxal action'.
  2. §9.4.7.prlicet — Used as a concessive conjunction ('although', 'even though'). While it generally governs the subjunctive mood, here it is used with the indicative perfect 'fuit'. This usage reflects colloquial or later Latin tendencies, or emphasizes the factual nature of the condition.
  3. §9.4.7.1quo sciente — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the relative pronoun quo (referring back to uenditorem) and the present participle sciente (ablative of scio). It means 'with his (the seller's) knowledge' and modifies the following phrase 'factum est' (the deed was done).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §9.4.7.pr-9.4.7.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:9.4.7.pr-9.4.7.1

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