Corpus iurisprudentiae Romanae

Repertorium zu den Quellen des römischen Rechts

Digesta Iustiniani Augusti

Recognovit Mommsen (1870) et retractavit Krüger (1928)
Convertit in Anglica lingua Scott (1932)
Dig. I4,
De constitutionibus principum
Liber primus
IV.

De constitutionibus principum

(Concerning the Constitutions of the Emperors.)

1Ul­pia­nus li­bro pri­mo in­sti­tu­tio­num. Quod prin­ci­pi pla­cuit, le­gis ha­bet vi­go­rem: ut­po­te cum le­ge re­gia, quae de im­pe­rio eius la­ta est, po­pu­lus ei et in eum om­ne suum im­pe­rium et po­tes­ta­tem con­fe­rat. 1Quod­cum­que igi­tur im­pe­ra­tor per epis­tu­lam et sub­scrip­tio­nem sta­tuit vel co­gnos­cens de­cre­vit vel de pla­no in­ter­lo­cu­tus est vel edic­to prae­ce­pit, le­gem es­se con­stat. haec sunt quas vul­go11Die Großausgabe liest vol­go statt vul­go. con­sti­tu­tio­nes ap­pel­la­mus. 2Pla­ne ex his quae­dam sunt per­so­na­les nec ad ex­em­plum tra­hun­tur: nam quae prin­ceps ali­cui ob me­ri­ta in­dul­sit vel si quam poe­nam ir­ro­ga­vit vel si cui si­ne ex­em­plo sub­ve­nit, per­so­nam non egre­di­tur.

1Ulpianus, Institutes, Book I. Whatever the Emperor has decreed has the force of law; since by a Royal ordinance which was passed concerning his sovereignty, the people conferred upon him all their own authority and power. 1Therefore, everything which the Emperor decrees by a letter over his signature, whether he decided after examining it or did so without judicial consideration or ordered it by means of an edict, has the force of law; and these are what we generally designate constitutions. 2Among the latter there are some which are special, and are not to be employed as precedents; for whatever the Emperor has granted to anyone as a reward of merit, or where he inflicts a penalty, or relieves a person in an unusual way, this does not extend beyond the party in question.

2Ul­pia­nus fi­dei­com­mis­so­rum li­bro quar­to. In re­bus no­vis con­sti­tuen­dis evi­dens es­se uti­li­tas de­bet, ut re­ce­da­tur ab eo iu­re, quod diu ae­quum vi­sum est.

2Ulpianus, Trusts, Book IV. In the enactment of new laws evidence of benefit should manifestly appear to justify departure from a law which has been considered just for a long period of time.

3Ia­vo­le­nus epis­tu­la­rum li­bro ter­tio de­ci­mo. Be­ne­fi­cium im­pe­ra­to­ris, quod a di­vi­na sci­li­cet eius in­dul­gen­tia pro­fi­cis­ci­tur, quam ple­nis­si­me in­ter­pre­ta­ri de­be­mus.

3Javolenus, Epistles, Book XIII. We should interpret as liberally as possible any favor of the Emperor which in fact proceeds from his Divine indulgence.

4Mo­des­ti­nus li­bro se­cun­do ex­cu­sa­tio­num. Αἱ μεταγενέστεραι διατάξεις ἰσχυρότεραι τῶν πρὸ αὐτῶν εἰσιν.

4Modestinus, Excuses, Book II. Recent constitutions have greater authority than those which have preceded them.