De collusione detegenda
(Concerning the detection of collusion.)
1 Gaius libro secundo ad edictum praetoris urbani titulo de liberali causa. Ne quorundam dominorum erga servos nimia indulgentia inquinaret amplissimum ordinem eo, quod paterentur servos suos in ingenuitatem proclamare liberosque iudicari, senatus consultum factum est Domitiani temporibus, quo cautum est, ut, si quis probasset per collusionem quicquam factum, si iste homo servus sit, fieret eius servus qui detexisset collusionem.
1 Gaius, On the Edict of the Urban Prætor, Title: Actions Relating to Freedom. To prevent the excessive indulgence of certain masters toward their slaves from contaminating the highest Order in the State, through suffering their slaves to claim the right of free birth and to be judicially declared free, a Decree of the Senate was enacted in the time of Domitian, by which it was provided, that: “If anyone can prove that an act was due to collusion, and the man pronounced to be free was actually a slave, the latter will belong to him who exposed the collusion.”
2 Ulpianus libro secundo de officio consulis. Conlusionem detegere ingenuitatis post sententiam intra quinquennium posse divus Marcus constitit. 1Quinquennium autem continuum utique accipiemus. 2Sicubi plane aetas eius, cuius retractatur conlusio, differendam retractationem in tempus pubertatis vel alterius rei suadeat, quinquennium non currere dicendum est. 3Quinquennium autem non ad perficiendam retractationem, sed ad inchoandam puto praefinitum: aliter atque circa eum, qui ex libertinitate se in ingenuitatem petit. 4Oratione divi Marci cavetur, ut etiam extraneis, qui pro altero postulandi ius haberent, liceret detegere collusionem.
2 Ulpianus, On the Duties of Consul, Book II. The Emperor Marcus decided that collusion could be detected within five years after a decision declaring a person entitled to the privilege of free birth. 1We understand that the five years must be continuous. 2If it is clear that if the age of him who is accused of collusion renders it necessary that the investigation should be deferred until the age of puberty, or to some other time, it must be held that the term of five years will not run. 3Moreover, I think that the term of five years has been prescribed not to terminate the inquiry, but to begin it. It is, however, different with respect to him who, being a liberated slave, demands that he be given the rights of a person who is freeborn. 4It is provided by a Rescript of the Divine Marcus that even strangers, who have the right to assert claims for others, shall be permitted to expose collusion.
3 Callistratus libro quarto de cognitionibus. Cum non iusto contradictore quis ingenuus pronuntiatus est, perinde inefficax est decretum, atque si nulla iudicata res intervenisset: idque principalibus constitutionibus cavetur.
3 Callistratus, On Judicial Inquiries, Book IV. Where anyone, without having any legal adversary, is judicially declared to be entitled to the rights of a freeborn person, the decision will be without effect, and just as if none had been rendered. This is provided by the Imperial Constitutions.
4 Ulpianus libro primo ad legem Iuliam et Papiam. Si libertinus per collusionem fuerit pronuntiatus ingenuus, conlusione detecta in quibus causis quasi libertinus incipit esse. medio tamen tempore, antequam collusio detegatur et post sententiam de ingenuitate latam, utique quasi ingenuus accipitur.
4 Ulpianus, On the Lex Julia et Papia, Book I. Where a freedman, through collusion, has been declared to be entitled to the rights of a freeborn person, and the collusion has been established, he is, in some respects regarded, as a freedman. In the meantime, however, before the collusion has been exposed, and after the decision with reference to his rights as a freeborn person has been rendered, he will be regarded as freeborn.
5 Hermogenianus libro quinto iuris epitomarum. Sententiam pro ingenuitate dictam collusionis praetextu semel retractare permittitur. 1Si plures ad collusionem detegendam pariter accedant, causa cognita quis debeat admitti, comparatis omnium moribus et aetatibus et cuius magis interest, statui oportet.
5 Hermogenianus, Epitomes of Law, Book V. It is only permitted, under the pretext of collusion, to review a judgment rendered with reference to the right of free birth but once. 1Where several persons appear at the same time for the purpose of proving the collusion, when proper cause is shown, a decision must be rendered after taking into account the morals and the ages of all the parties concerned; and especially should it be ascertained which one of them has the greatest interest in exposing the collusion.