Ex libro IV

Dig. 40,1,6Alfenus Varus libro quarto digestorum. Servus pecuniam ob libertatem pactus erat et eam domino dederat: dominus prius quam eum manumitteret, mortuus erat testamentoque liberum esse iusserat et ei peculium suum legaverat. consulebat, quam pecuniam domino dedisset ob libertatem, an eam sibi heredes patroni reddere deberent necne. respondit, si eam pecuniam dominus, posteaquam accepisset, in suae pecuniae rationem habuisset, statim desisse eius peculii esse: sed si interea, dum eum manumitteret, acceptum servo rettulisset, videri peculii fuisse et debere heredes eam pecuniam manumisso reddere.

Alfenus Varus, Digest, Book IV. A slave, having agreed to give a certain sum in order to obtain his freedom, paid it to his master, but the latter died before manumitting him, and ordered him to be free by his will, and also bequeathed him his peculium. The slave asked whether the money, which he had paid to his master in consideration of obtaining his freedom, should be refunded to him by the heirs of his patron, or not? The answer was that if, after the master had received the money, he kept an account of it as his own, it immediately ceased to form part of the peculium of the slave; but if, in the meantime, before he manumitted him, he set the money aside, as having been paid by the slave, it should be considered to belong to his peculium, and the heirs must return it to the manumitted slave.

Dig. 40,7,14Alfenus Varus libro quarto digestorum. Servus, qui testamento domini, cum decem heredi dedisset, liber esse iussus erat, heredi mercedem referre pro operis suis solebat: cum ex mercede heres amplius decem recepisset, servus liberum esse aiebat: de ea re consulebatur. respondit non videri liberum esse: non enim pro libertate, sed pro operis eam pecuniam dedisse nec magis ob eam rem liberum esse, quam si fundum a domino conduxisset et pro fructu fundi pecuniam dedisset. 1Servus cum heredi annorum septem operas dedisset, liber esse iussus erat: is servus fugerat et annum in fuga fecerat. cum septem anni praeterissent, respondit non esse liberum: non enim fugitivum operas domino dedisse: quare nisi totidem dies, quot afuisset, servisset, non fore liberum. sed et si ita scriptum esset, ut tum liber esset, cum septem annis servisset, potuisse liberum esse, si tempus fugae reversus servisset.

Alfenus Varus, Digest, Book IV. A slave, who was ordered to be free by the will of his master under the condition of paying ten aurei to the heir, paid to the latter the wages of his labor, and as the heir received from the same a larger sum than ten aurei, the slave alleged that he was free. Advice was taken on this point. The answer was that the slave did not appear to be free, as the money which he had paid was not in consideration of his freedom, but on account of the labor which he had performed; and that he was no more free on this account than if he had leased a tract of land from his master and paid him the money instead of giving him the crops. 1A slave was ordered to be free after he had given his services to the heir for the term of seven years. He took to flight and remained absent for a year. When the seven years had expired, the opinion was given that he was not free, for he had not rendered his services to his master while he was a fugitive, and he would not become free until he had served his master for the number of days that he was absent. If, however, it had been stated in the will that he should be free after he had served seven years, he could become free if he served his master for the time of his flight, after his return.

Corpus iurisprudentiae Romanae

Digesta Iustiniani Augusti

Digestorum libri

Ex libro IV