De mortuo inferendo et sepulchro aedificando
(Concerning the transport of a dead body, and the construction of a sepulchre.)
1 Ulpianus libro sexagensimo octavo ad edictum. Praetor ait: ‘Quo quave illi mortuum inferre invito te ius est, quo minus illi eo eave mortuum inferre et ibi sepelire liceat, vim fieri veto.’ 1Qui inferendi mortuum ius habet, non prohibetur inferre: prohiberi autem inferre videtur, sive in locum inferre prohibeatur sive itinere arceatur. 2Hoc interdicto de mortuo inferendo dominus proprietatis uti potest, quod etiam de loco puro competit. 3Item si mihi in fundum via debeatur, in quem fundum inferre volo, et via prohibear, hoc interdicto posse me experiri placuit, quia inferre prohibeor qui via uti prohibeor: idque erit probandum et si alia servitus debeatur. 4Hoc interdictum prohibitorium esse palam est. 5Praetor ait: ‘Quo illi ius est invito te mortuum inferre, quominus illi in eo loco sepulchrum sine dolo malo aedificare liceat, vim fieri veto.’ 6Interdictum hoc propterea propositum est, quia religionis interest monumenta exstrui et exornari. 7Facere sepulchrum sive monumentum in loco, in quo ei ius est, nemo prohibetur. 8Aedificare videtur prohibere et qui prohibet eam materiam convehi, quae aedificio necessaria sit. proinde et si operi necessarios prohibuit quis venire, interdictum locum habet, et si machinam alligare quis prohibeat, si tamen eo loci prohibeat, qui servitutem debeat: ceterum si in meo solo velis machinam ponere, non tenebor interdicto, si iure te non patiar. 9Aedificare autem non solum qui novum opus molitur intellegendus est, verum is quoque, qui vult reficere. 10Is qui id agit, ut labatur sepulchrum, hoc interdicto tenetur.
1 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book LXVIII. The Prætor says: “Whither or howsoever anyone has a right to transport a dead body without your consent, I forbid force to be employed to prevent him from taking the said dead body thither and burying it there.” 1Where anyone has the right to bury a corpse, he must not be prevented from doing so, and he is held to be prevented if he is hindered from conveying the body to the place or is interfered with on the way. 2The mere owner of the premises can make use of this interdict with reference to the transport of a dead body; and, indeed, it is applicable in the case of land which is not religious. 3Moreover, if I have a right of way to a tract of land to which I desire to take a corpse for burial, and I am prevented from using the said right of way, it has been held that I can proceed by means of this interdict; because, having been prevented from using the right of way, I am also prevented from transporting the corpse; and the same rule must be adopted where I am entitled to any other servitude. 4It is evident that this interdict is a prohibitory one. 5The Prætor says: “Wherever anyone has a right to take a dead body without your consent, I forbid force to be employed to prevent him from building a sepulchre on the land, if he does this without malicious intent.” 6This Edict was promulgated because it is to the interest of religion that monuments should be erected and adorned. 7No one shall be prevented from building a sepulchre or a monument in a place where he has a right to do so. 8A person is held to be prevented when he is hindered in having material transported which is necessary for erecting a building; and hence if anyone prevents the workmen who are necessary from coming, there will be ground for an interdict; and if anyone prevents the placing of machinery the interdict will also be available, provided he does this in a place which is subject to the servitude; but if you try to set up your machinery on my land, I will not be liable to an interdict, if I have the right to prevent you from doing so. 9A person must be understood to “build” not only when he begins a new work, but also where he wishes to make repairs. 10When a man does something in such a way that a sepulchre falls down, he is liable to this interdict.
2 Marcellus libro vicensimo octavo digestorum. Negat lex regia mulierem, quae praegnas mortua sit, humari, antequam partus ei excidatur: qui contra fecerit, spem animantis cum gravida peremisse videtur.
2 Marcellus, Digest, Book XXVIII. The Royal Law refuses permission for a woman who died during pregnancy to be buried before her unborn child is removed from her; and anyone who violates this law is held to have destroyed the hope of a living child by the burial of the pregnant mother.
3 Pomponius libro nono ad Sabinum. Si propius aedes tuas quis aedificet sepulchrum, opus novum tu nuntiare poteris, sed facto opere nullam habebis actionem nisi quod vi aut clam. 1Si propius aedificium alienum intra legitimum modum mortuus illatus sit, postea eum prohibere non poterit aedificii dominus, quominus alium mortuum eo inferat vel monumentum aedificet, si ab initio domino sciente hoc fecerit.
3 Pomponius, On Sabinus, Book IX. Where anyone is building a sepulchre near your house you can serve notice of a new structure upon him; but after the work has been completed, you will have no right of action against him except by means of the interdict Quod vi aut clam. 1Where a body is buried near a house belonging to another but within the limits prescribed by law, the owner of the house cannot afterwards prevent the same party from burying another body there, or from erecting a monument; if he acted with the knowledge of the owner from the beginning.
4 Ulpianus libro secundo responsorum. Longa possessione ius sepulchri non tribui ei, cui iure non competit.
4 Ulpianus, Opinions, Book II. The right to a burial-place is not acquired by a party through long possession, if it does not lawfully belong to him.
5 Idem libro primo opinionum. Si in eo monumento, quod imperfectum esse dicitur, reliquiae hominis conditae sunt, nihil impedit quominus id perficiatur. 1Sed si religiosus locus iam factus sit, pontifices explorare debent, quatenus salva religione desiderio reficiendi operis medendum sit.
5 The Same, Opinions, Book I. Where human remains are deposited in a tomb which is said to be unfinished, this does not offer any hindrance to its completion. 1Where, however, the place has already been made religious, the pontiffs should determine to what extent the desire of repairing the structure may be indulged without violating the privileges of religion.