Institutionum libri
Ex libro I
Dig. 1,1,1Ulpianus libro primo institutionum. Iuri operam daturum prius nosse oportet, unde nomen iuris descendat. est autem a iustitia appellatum: nam, ut eleganter Celsus definit, ius est ars boni et aequi. 1Cuius merito quis nos sacerdotes appellet: iustitiam namque colimus et boni et aequi notitiam profitemur, aequum ab iniquo separantes, licitum ab illicito discernentes, bonos non solum metu poenarum, verum etiam praemiorum quoque exhortatione efficere cupientes, veram nisi fallor philosophiam, non simulatam affectantes. 2Huius studii duae sunt positiones, publicum et privatum. publicum ius est quod ad statum rei Romanae spectat, privatum quod ad singulorum utilitatem: sunt enim quaedam publice utilia, quaedam privatim. publicum ius in sacris, in sacerdotibus, in magistratibus consistit. privatum ius tripertitum est: collectum etenim est ex naturalibus praeceptis aut gentium aut civilibus. 3Ius naturale est, quod natura omnia animalia docuit: nam ius istud non humani generis proprium, sed omnium animalium, quae in terra, quae in mari nascuntur, avium quoque commune est. hinc descendit maris atque feminae coniunctio, quam nos matrimonium appellamus, hinc liberorum procreatio, hinc educatio: videmus etenim cetera quoque animalia, feras etiam istius iuris peritia censeri. 4Ius gentium est, quo gentes humanae utuntur. quod a naturali recedere facile intellegere licet, quia illud omnibus animalibus, hoc solis hominibus inter se commune sit.
Ulpianus, Book I, Institutes. Those who apply themselves to the study of law should know, in the first place, from whence the science is derived. The law obtains its name from justice; for (as Celsus elegantly says), law is the art of knowing what is good and just. 1Anyone may properly call us the priests of this art, for we cultivate justice and profess to know what is good and equitable, dividing right from wrong, and distinguishing what is lawful from what is unlawful; desiring to make men good through fear of punishment, but also by the encouragement of reward; aiming (if I am not mistaken) at a true, and not a pretended philosophy. 2Of this subject there are two divisions, public and private law. Public law is that which has reference to the administration of the Roman government; private law is that which concerns the interests of individuals; for there are some things which are useful to the public, and others which are of benefit to private persons. Public law has reference to sacred ceremonies, and to the duties of priests and magistrates. Private law is threefold in its nature, for it is derived either from natural precepts, from those of nations, or from those of the Civil Law. 3Natural law is that which nature teaches to all animals, for this law is not peculiar to the human race, but affects all creatures which deduce their origin from the sea or the land, and it is also common to birds. From it proceeds the union of male and female which we designate as marriage; hence also arises the procreation of children and the bringing up of the same; for we see that all animals, and even wild beasts, appear to be acquainted with this law. 4The Law of Nations is that used by the human race, and it is easy to understand that it differs from natural law, for the reason that me latter is common to all animals, while the former only concerns men in their relations to one another:
Dig. 1,1,4Ulpianus libro primo institutionum. Manumissiones quoque iuris gentium sunt. est autem manumissio de manu missio, id est datio libertatis: nam quamdiu quis in servitute est, manui et potestati suppositus est, manumissus liberatur potestate. quae res a iure gentium originem sumpsit, utpote cum iure naturali omnes liberi nascerentur nec esset nota manumissio, cum servitus esset incognita: sed posteaquam iure gentium servitus invasit, secutum est beneficium manumissionis. et cum uno naturali nomine homines appellaremur, iure gentium tria genera esse coeperunt: liberi et his contrarium servi et tertium genus liberti, id est hi qui desierant esse servi.
Ulpianus, Institutes, Book I. Manumissions also, are part of the Law of Nations, for manumission is dismissal by the hand, that is to say the bestowal of freedom; for as long as anyone is in servitude he is subject to the hand and to authority, but, once manumitted, he is liberated from that authority. This takes its origin from the Law of Nations; since, according to natural law all persons were born free, and manumission was not known, as slavery itself was unknown; but after slavery was admitted by the Law of Nations, the benefit of manumission followed, and while men were designated by one natural name there arose three different kinds under the Law of Nations, that is to say freemen, and, in distinction to them, slaves, and as a third class, freedmen, or those who had ceased to be slaves.
Dig. 1,1,6Ulpianus libro primo institutionum. Ius civile est, quod neque in totum a naturali vel gentium recedit nec per omnia ei servit: itaque cum aliquid addimus vel detrahimus iuri communi, ius proprium, id est civile efficimus. 1Hoc igitur ius nostrum constat aut ex scripto aut sine scripto, ut apud Graecos: τῶν νόμων οἱ μὲν ἔγγραφοι, οἱ δὲ ἄγραφοι.
Ulpianus, Institutes, Book I. The Civil Law is something which is not entirely different from natural law or that of Nations, nor is it in everything subservient to it; and therefore when we add or take anything from the Common Law we constitute a separate law, that is the Civil Law. 1This our law then is established either by writing, or without it, as among the Greeks “twn nomwn oi men eggrafoi oi de agrafoi”, that is to say, some laws are in writing and others are not.
Dig. 1,4,1Ulpianus 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 volgo 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.
Ulpianus, 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.
Dig. 1,6,4Ulpianus libro primo institutionum. Nam civium Romanorum quidam sunt patres familiarum, alii filii familiarum, quaedam matres familiarum, quaedam filiae familiarum. patres familiarum sunt, qui sunt suae potestatis sive puberes sive impuberes: simili modo matres familiarum; filii familiarum et filiae, quae sunt in aliena potestate. nam qui ex me et uxore mea nascitur, in mea potestate est: item qui ex filio meo et uxore eius nascitur, id est nepos meus et neptis, aeque in mea sunt potestate, et pronepos et proneptis et deinceps ceteri.
Ulpianus, Institutes, Book I. Certain Roman citizens are fathers of families, others are sons of families, some are mothers of families, others again are daughters of families. Those are fathers of families who are their own masters, whether they have arrived at puberty or not; in the same manner those who are under the control of others are either the mothers of families, or the sons or daughters of families. For any child who is born of me and my wife is under my control; also a child born of my son and his wife, that is to say my grandson and granddaughter, are also under my control, as well as my great-grandson and great-granddaughter, and so on with reference to other descendants.
Dig. 24,3,28Ulpianus libro primo institutionum. Facere posse maritus etiam id videtur, quod a muliere consequi potest: scilicet si iam ei aliquid absit, quod pro muliere aliquid expendit vel mandato eius praestitit: ceterum si nondum ei abest, ut puta sub condicione est obligatus, nondum videtur facere posse.
Ulpianus, Institutes, Book I. It is held that the husband can also act when he has a right to recover anything from his wife; for instance, if he has lost money on her account either because he has expended it for her, or paid it out under her direction. But if he has not lost anything thus far, for example, where he is conditionally liable, he is not yet considered qualified to proceed.
Dig. 43,26,1Ulpianus libro primo institutionum. Precarium est, quod precibus petenti utendum conceditur tamdiu, quamdiu is qui concessit patitur. 1Quod genus liberalitatis ex iure gentium descendit. 2Et distat a donatione eo, quod qui donat, sic dat, ne recipiat, at qui precario concedit, sic dat quasi tunc recepturus, cum sibi libuerit precarium solvere. 3Et est simile commodato: nam et qui commodat rem, sic commodat, ut non faciat rem accipientis, sed ut ei uti re commodata permittat.
Ulpianus, Institutes, Book I. A precarious tenure is one by which a party petitioning for it is permitted to enjoy the use of property as long as he who grants him permission suffers him to do so. 1This species of generosity is derived from the Law of Nations. 2It differs from a donation, in that he who makes a donation has no intention of receiving the property again; but he who grants anything by a precarious tenure does so with the expectation of resuming control of the property when he chooses to release it from the tenure. 3It also resembles a loan for use, for he who lends property in this manner does so in such a way as not to render the article loaned the property of the person who receives it, but he only permits him to make use of it.
Dig. 49,15,24Ulpianus libro primo institutionum. Hostes sunt, quibus bellum publice populus Romanus decrevit vel ipsi populo Romano: ceteri latrunculi vel praedones appellantur. et ideo qui a latronibus captus est, servus latronum non est, nec postliminium illi necessarium est: ab hostibus autem captus, ut puta a Germanis et Parthis, et servus est hostium et postliminio statum pristinum recuperat.
Ulpianus, Institutes, Book I. Enemies are those against whom the Roman people have publicly declared war, or who themselves have declared war against the Roman people; others are called robbers, or brigands. Therefore, anyone who is captured by robbers, does not become their slave, nor has he any need of the right of postliminium. He, however, who has been taken by the enemy, for instance, by the Germans or Parthians, becomes their slave, and recovers his former condition by the right of postliminium.