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. L5,
De vacatione et excusatione munerum
Liber quinquagesimus
V.

De vacatione et excusatione munerum

(Concerning Exemption and Excuses From Employments.)

1Ul­pia­nus li­bro se­cun­do opi­nio­num. Om­nis ex­cu­sa­tio sua ae­qui­ta­te ni­ti­tur. sed si prae­ten­den­ti­bus ali­quod si­ne iu­di­ce cre­da­tur, aut pas­sim si­ne tem­po­ris prae­fi­ni­tio­ne, pro­ut cui­que li­bue­rit, per­mis­sum fue­rit se ex­cu­sa­re, non erunt, qui mu­ne­ra ne­ces­sa­ria in re­bus pu­bli­cis ob­eant. qua­re et qui li­be­ro­rum in­co­lu­mium iu­re a mu­ne­ri­bus ci­vi­li­bus si­bi vin­di­cant ex­cu­sa­tio­nem, ap­pel­la­tio­nem in­ter­po­ne­re de­bent: et qui tem­po­ra prae­fi­ni­ta in or­di­ne eius­mo­di ap­pel­la­tio­num per­agen­do non ser­va­ve­rint, me­ri­to prae­scrip­tio­ne re­pel­lun­tur. 1Qui ex­cu­sa­tio­ne ali­qua utun­tur, quo­tiens­cum­que crea­ti fue­rint, et­si iam an­te ab­so­lu­ti sunt, ne­ces­se ha­bent ap­pel­la­re. sed si per ca­lum­niam et sae­pius idem ad­ver­sa­rius ve­xan­di gra­tia eius, quem scit per­pe­tua va­ca­tio­ne sub­ni­xum, id fa­ce­re pro­ba­tus erit, sump­tus li­tis ex­em­plo de­cre­to­rum prin­ci­pa­lium prae­sta­re iu­bea­tur ei, quem si­ne cau­sa sae­pius in­quie­ta­vit. 2Qui in frau­dem or­di­nis in ho­no­ri­bus ge­ren­dis, cum in­ter eos ad pri­mos ho­no­res crea­ri pos­sint qui in ci­vi­ta­te mu­ne­ra­ban­tur, evi­tan­do­rum ma­io­rum one­rum gra­tia ad co­lo­nos prae­dio­rum se trans­tu­le­runt, ut mi­no­ri­bus sub­ician­tur, hanc ex­cu­sa­tio­nem si­bi non pa­ra­ve­runt. 3Quam­vis se­xa­gin­ta quin­que an­no­rum ali­quis sit et tres li­be­ros in­co­lu­mes ha­beat, a mu­ne­ri­bus ta­men ci­vi­li­bus prop­ter has cau­sas non li­be­ra­tur.

1Ulpianus, Opinions, Book II. Every excuse should be based upon justice. But if confidence should be placed in persons claiming exemption, without a hearing in court, or indiscriminately, without any limitation of time, as each one may choose, and if each one should be permitted to excuse himself, there would not be enough persons to discharge the duties of public office. Therefore, when any persons claim exemption from a public office on account of the number of their children, they should take an appeal, and those who do not observe the time prescribed for the prosecution of an appeal of this kind are with good reason excluded from the benefit of an exception. 1Those who avail themselves of an excuse, and are discharged in consequence, must appeal every time that they are appointed afterwards. When, however, this adversary is proved to have acted through malice, and for the purpose of subjecting them to frequent annoyance, although he is aware that they are entitled to perpetual exemption, the Governor shall order him who is responsible for this annoyance to pay the expenses of litigation, as in the case of the Imperial Decrees. 2Persons eligible to the highest honors, and included among the citizens of a town who, with the design of defrauding their order, betake themselves to the country for the purpose of avoiding the responsibilities of the higher offices, and still remain liable to those attaching to inferior ones, cannot avail themselves of this excuse. 3Although a man may be sixty-five years of age, and have three living children, he cannot, for these reasons, be released from performing the duties of civil employment.

2Idem li­bro ter­tio opi­nio­num. Sex­tum de­ci­mum ae­ta­tis an­num agen­tem ad mu­nus si­to­niae vo­ca­ri non opor­tet: sed si ni­hil pro­prie in pa­tria ser­va­tur de mi­no­ri­bus quo­que an­nis vi­gin­ti quin­que ad mu­ne­ra si­ve ho­no­res crean­di, ius­ta ae­tas ser­van­da est. 1Nu­me­rus li­be­ro­rum aut sep­tua­gin­ta an­no­rum ab ho­no­ri­bus aut mu­ne­ri­bus his co­hae­ren­ti­bus ex­cu­sa­tio­nem non prae­stat, sed a mu­ne­ri­bus tan­tum ci­vi­li­bus. 2Ad­op­ti­vi fi­lii in nu­me­rum non pro­fi­ciunt eo­rum li­be­ro­rum, qui ex­cu­sa­re pa­ren­tes so­lent. 3Qui ad mu­ne­ra vo­can­tur, vi­vo­rum se li­be­ro­rum nu­me­rum ha­be­re tem­po­re, quo prop­ter eos ex­cu­sa­ri de­si­de­rant, pro­ba­re de­bent: nu­me­rus enim li­be­ro­rum post­ea im­ple­tus sus­cep­tis ant­ea mu­ne­ri­bus non li­be­rat. 4Quae pa­tri­mo­nio­rum one­ra sunt, nu­me­ro li­be­ro­rum non ex­cu­san­tur. 5In­co­lu­mes li­be­ri, et­iam­si in po­tes­ta­te pa­tri suo de­sie­rint es­se, ex­cu­sa­tio­nem a mu­ne­ri­bus ci­vi­li­bus prae­stant. 6Mi­nus au­diens in­mu­ni­ta­tem ci­vi­lium mu­ne­rum non ha­bet. 7Quem ita se­nio et cor­po­ris in­be­cil­li­ta­te ve­xa­ri prae­ses anim­ad­ver­te­rit, ut mu­ne­ri per­fe­ren­dae pe­cu­niae non suf­fi­ciat, di­mit­tat et alium con­sti­tuat. 7aCor­po­ris de­bi­li­tas eo­rum mu­ne­rum ex­cu­sa­tio­nem prae­stat, quae tan­tum cor­po­re im­plen­da sunt. ce­te­rum quae con­si­lio pru­den­tis vi­ri vel pa­tri­mo­nio suf­fi­cien­tis in ho­mi­nes ob­iri pos­sunt, ni­si cer­tis et re­cep­tis pro­ba­bi­li­bus cau­sis non re­mit­tun­tur. 8Qui pue­ros pri­mas lit­te­ras do­cent, in­mu­ni­ta­tem a ci­vi­li­bus mu­ne­ri­bus non ha­bent: sed ne cui eo­rum id quod su­pra vi­res sit in­di­ca­tur, ad prae­si­dis re­li­gio­nem per­ti­net, si­ve in ci­vi­ta­ti­bus si­ve in vi­cis pri­mas lit­te­ras ma­gis­tri do­ceant.

2The Same, Opinions, Book III. A minor of sixteen years of age cannot be charged with the duty of the purchase of grain, if this is not customary in the place of his birth. The same rule applies to minors under twenty-five years of age, if they are appointed to municipal employments or honors. 1Neither the number of children, nor the age of seventy years, is a good excuse where honors or offices are united, but only exempts a person from civil employments. 2Adopted children are not included in the number of those who ordinarily excuse fathers from public duties. 3Those who are called to perform the functions of public officials must prove that they have the prescribed number of children at the time when they wish to be excused on this account; for if the number of children should afterwards be completed, it will not release them, if they have previously undertaken the employment. 4Where patrimonial employments exist, the number of children is no excuse. 5Children, even if they have ceased to be under the control of their father, afford a valid excuse for exemption from civil employments. 6A person who hears with difficulty is not entitled to exemption from civil employments. 7When the Governor of a province perceives that anyone is oppressed with age and bodily infirmity, or has not sufficient money to administer the office, he can discharge him and appoint another. 7aInfirmity of body is a valid excuse from public employment, where only corporeal labor is concerned. Those, however, who can assist with their advice as well-informed men, or who are competent to discharge the duties of the office, should not be excused, except for good and sufficient reasons. 8Those who teach children the first rudiments of learning are not entitled to exemption from civil employments. It is, however, a part of the duty of a Governor to see that an office is not assigned to anyone which is beyond his capacity, whether such a person is teaching the primary branches of knowledge in a city or in a village.

3Scae­vo­la li­bro ter­tio re­gu­la­rum. His, qui na­ves ma­ri­nas fa­b­ri­ca­ve­runt et ad an­no­nam po­pu­li Ro­ma­ni prae­fue­rint non mi­no­res quin­qua­gin­ta mi­lium mo­dio­rum aut plu­res sin­gu­las non mi­no­res de­cem mi­lium mo­dio­rum, do­nec hae na­ves na­vi­gant aut aliae in ea­rum lo­cum, mu­ne­ris pu­bli­ci va­ca­tio prae­sta­tur ob na­vem. se­na­to­res au­tem hanc va­ca­tio­nem ha­be­re non pos­sunt, quod nec ha­be­re il­lis na­vem ex le­ge Iu­lia re­pe­tun­da­rum li­cet.

3Scævola, Rules, Book III. Exemption from public employments is granted to those who have constructed ships destined for the transport of provisions for the Roman people, which have a capacity of not less than fifty thousand measures of grain, or several, each of which has a capacity of not less than ten thousand measures, as long as the said ships are suitable for navigation, or where they provide others in their stead. Senators, however, are not entitled to this exemption. According to the Julian Law on Extortions, they have no right to have ships.

4Ne­ra­tius li­bro pri­mo mem­bra­na­rum. Tem­pus va­ca­tio­nis, quod da­tur eis qui rei pu­bli­cae cau­sa afue­runt, non ex eo die nu­me­ran­dum est, quo quis ab­es­se de­siit, sed cum quo­dam la­xa­men­to iti­ne­ris: ne­que enim mi­nus ab­es­se rei pu­bli­cae cau­sa in­tel­le­gen­dus est, qui ad id neg­otium vel ab eo re­ver­ti­tur. si quis ta­men plus ius­to tem­po­ris aut iti­ne­re aut in alio lo­co com­mo­ra­tus con­sump­se­rit, ita ea in­ter­pre­tan­da erit, ut ex eo tem­po­re va­ca­tio­nis dies in­ci­piat ei ce­de­re, quo iter ex com­mo­do per­age­re po­tuis­set.

4Neratius, Parchments, Book I. The term of exemption which is conceded to those who are absent on business for the State should not be calculated from the day on which the person ceased to be absent, but some time should be allowed him to rest after his journey; and he is still understood to be absent in the public service if he transacts any business either while going or returning. But if anyone delays longer than is proper while on his way, or in any place, in this instance, the time of exemption should be understood to begin from the date when he could have conveniently concluded his journey.

5Ma­cer li­bro se­cun­do de of­fi­cio prae­si­dis. A de­cu­rio­na­tu, quam­vis hic quo­que ho­nor est, ad alium ho­no­rem nul­lam va­ca­tio­nem tri­buen­dam Ul­pia­nus re­spon­dit.

5Macer, On the Duties of Governor, Book II. Ulpianus gave it as his opinion that no exemption should be granted to any other office while anyone was called to it from the decurionate.

6Pa­pi­nia­nus li­bro se­cun­do quaes­tio­num. Hi, qui mu­ne­ris pu­bli­ci va­ca­tio­nem ha­bent, ad ea, quae ex­tra or­di­nem im­pe­ran­tur, com­pel­li non so­lent.

6Papinianus, Questions, Book II. He who is entitled to exemption from public employments cannot be compelled to assume the duties of one which is extraordinary, and which he has been commanded to exercise.

7Idem li­bro tri­gen­si­mo sex­to quaes­tio­num. A mu­ne­ri­bus, quae non pa­tri­mo­niis in­di­cun­tur, ve­te­r­a­ni post op­ti­mi nos­tri Se­ve­ri Au­gus­ti lit­te­ras per­pe­tuo ex­cu­san­tur.

7The Same, Questions, Book XXXVI. According to the Decrees of our most Excellent Emperor Severus, veterans are excused for life from the exercise of public employments which are not imposed as patrimonial.

8Idem li­bro pri­mo re­spon­so­rum. In ho­no­ri­bus de­la­tis ne­que ma­ior an­nis sep­tua­gin­ta ne­que pa­ter nu­me­ro quin­que li­be­ro­rum ex­cu­sa­tur. sed in Asia sa­cer­do­tium pro­vin­ciae sus­ci­pe­re non co­gun­tur nu­me­ro li­be­ro­rum quin­que sub­ni­xi: quod op­ti­mus ma­xi­mus­que prin­ceps nos­ter Se­ve­rus Au­gus­tus de­cre­vit ac post­ea in ce­te­ris pro­vin­ciis ser­van­dum es­se con­sti­tuit. 1Non alios fis­ci vec­ti­ga­lium red­emp­to­res a mu­ne­ri­bus ci­vi­li­bus ac tu­te­lis ex­cu­sa­ri pla­cuit, quam eos, qui prae­sen­tes neg­otium ex­er­ce­rent. 2Va­ca­tio­num pri­vi­le­gia non spec­tant li­be­ros ve­te­ra­no­rum. 3Qui mu­ne­ris pu­bli­ci va­ca­tio­nem ha­bet, per ma­gis­tra­tus ex in­pro­vi­so col­la­tio­nes in­dic­tas rec­te re­cu­sat: eas ve­ro, quae e le­ge fiunt, re­cu­sa­re non de­bet. 4Phi­lo­so­phis, qui se fre­quen­tes at­que uti­les per ean­dem stu­dio­rum sec­tam con­ten­den­ti­bus prae­bent, tu­te­las, item mu­ne­ra sor­di­da cor­po­ra­lia re­mit­ti pla­cuit, non ea, quae sump­ti­bus ex­pe­diun­tur: et­enim ve­re phi­lo­so­phan­tes pe­cu­niam con­tem­nunt, cu­ius re­ti­nen­dae cu­pi­di­ne fic­tam ad­se­ve­ra­tio­nem de­te­gunt. 5Qui ma­xi­mos prin­ci­pes ap­pel­la­vit et cau­sam pro­priam ac­tu­rus Ro­mam pro­fec­tus est: quo­ad co­gni­tio fi­nem ac­ci­piat, ab ho­no­ri­bus et ci­vi­li­bus mu­ne­ri­bus apud suos ex­cu­sa­tur.

8The Same, Opinions, Book I. When a person is appointed to municipal honors, neither the age of seventy years, nor the fact that he is the father of five children, can be advanced as an excuse. Our Great Emperor Severus decreed that in Asia, men who had five children could not be compelled to assume the sacerdotal duties of the province, and he afterwards decided that this rule should be observed in the other provinces. 1It is settled that no other farmers of the revenue except those who are engaged in that occupation at the time can be excused from civil employments and guardianships. 2The privileges of exemption do not apply to the children of veterans. 3Those who have obtained exemption from public employments are not compelled to pay contributions unexpectedly imposed upon them by magistrates, but they cannot avoid paying those which are imposed by law. 4It has been decided that philosophers, who frequently and usefully employ their time for the benefit of those who are pursuing the studies of their school, are excused from guardianships and other employments requiring corporeal exertion, but they are not excused from those which involve the payment of expenses; for true philosophers despise money, and expose the false statements of the philosophical impostors who are desirous of having it. 5Anyone who has appealed to the Emperor, and goes to Rome with the intention of conducting his own lawsuit, is excused from municipal honors and employments until his case has been decided.

9Pau­lus li­bro pri­mo re­spon­so­rum. Eos, qui Ro­mae pro­fi­ten­tur, pro­in­de in pa­tria sua ex­cu­sa­ri mu­ne­ri­bus opor­te­re, ac si in pa­tria sua pro­fi­te­ren­tur. 1Pau­lus re­spon­dit pri­vi­le­gium fru­men­ta­riis neg­otia­to­ri­bus con­ces­sum et­iam ad ho­no­res ex­cu­san­dos per­ti­ne­re.

9Paulus, Opinions, Book I. Those who teach at Rome must be excused from public employments in their own country, just as if they taught there. 1Paulus gave it as his opinion that where a privilege was granted to persons dealing in grain, it would also avail to excuse them from public office.

10Idem li­bro pri­mo sen­ten­tia­rum. Ab his one­ri­bus, quae pos­ses­sio­ni­bus vel pa­tri­mo­nio in­di­cun­tur, nul­la pri­vi­le­gia prae­stant va­ca­tio­nem. 1Cor­pus men­su­ra­rum fru­men­ti iux­ta an­no­nam ur­bis ha­bet va­ca­tio­nem: in pro­vin­ciis non idem. 2An­ga­rio­rum prae­sta­tio et re­ci­pien­di hos­pi­tis ne­ces­si­tas et mi­li­ti et li­be­ra­lium ar­tium pro­fes­so­ri­bus in­ter ce­te­ra re­mis­sa sunt. 3Auc­tis post ap­pel­la­tio­nem me­dio tem­po­re fa­cul­ta­ti­bus pau­per­ta­tis op­ten­tu non ex­cu­san­tur. 4De­fen­so­res rei pu­bli­cae ab ho­no­ri­bus et mu­ne­ri­bus eo­dem tem­po­re va­cant.

10The Same, Sentences, Book I. No privilege is available as an excuse to exempt persons from those employments which arise from possession, or which are patrimonial. 1Those who are charged with the measurement of grain, with a view to supplying the City of Rome, are entitled to exemption; but the same rule does not apply to the provinces. 2The furnishing of horses for posts, and the necessity of receiving strangers as guests, are requirements not imposed upon soldiers and professors of the liberal arts. 3The excuse of poverty cannot be alleged by anyone after an appeal, if, in the meantime, his property has increased in value. 4Public defenders are entitled to exemption from offices and employments for the same length of time.

11Her­mo­ge­nia­nus li­bro pri­mo iu­ris epi­to­ma­rum. Sunt mu­ne­ra, quae rei pro­prie co­hae­rent, de qui­bus ne­que li­be­ri ne­que ae­tas nec me­ri­ta mi­li­tiae nec ul­lum aliud pri­vi­le­gium iu­re tri­buit ex­cu­sa­tio­nem: ut sit prae­dio­rum col­la­tio viae ster­nen­dae, an­ga­rio­rum­ve ex­hi­bitio, hos­pi­tis sus­ci­pien­di mu­nus (nam nec hu­ius quis­quam ex­cu­sa­tio­nem prae­ter eos, qui­bus prin­ci­pa­li be­ne­fi­cio con­ces­sum est, ha­bet) et si qua sunt prae­ter­ea alia hu­ius­mo­di.

11Hermogenianus, Epitomes of Law, Book I. There are public duties which attach to property, and with reference to which neither children, slaves, the merits of military service, nor any other privilege affords a legal excuse. As, for instance, those relating to the contribution of land, the paving of highways, the provision of horses and vehicles for posts, and the requirement to contribute to the lodging of strangers; for no one has a right to an excuse of this kind except those to whom it has been especially conceded by the favor of the Emperor; and this applies to any other exemptions of this kind.

12Pau­lus li­bro pri­mo sen­ten­tia­rum. Le­ga­to, qui pu­bli­cum neg­otium tui­tus sit, in­tra tem­po­ra va­ca­tio­nis prae­sti­tu­ta rur­sum eius­dem neg­otii de­fen­sio man­da­ri non pot­est. 1Com­ites prae­si­dum et pro­con­su­lum pro­cu­ra­to­rum­ve Cae­sa­ris a mu­ne­ri­bus vel ho­no­ri­bus et tu­te­lis va­cant.

12Paulus, Sentences, Book I. The defence in the same case cannot, a second time, be committed to the representative of the government who previously appeared, before the prescribed time of exemption has elapsed. 1The attendants of Governors, Proconsuls, and agents of the Emperor are excused from offices or honors, and guardianships.

13Ul­pia­nus li­bro vi­cen­si­mo ter­tio ad edic­tum. Prae­tor eos, quos­cum­que in­tel­le­git ope­ram da­re non pos­se ad iu­di­can­dum, pol­li­ce­tur se ex­cu­sa­tu­rum: for­te quod in per­pe­tuum quis ope­ram da­re non pot­est, quod in eam va­le­tu­di­nem in­ci­dit, ut cer­tum sit eum ci­vi­lia of­fi­cia sub­ire non pos­se: aut si alio mor­bo la­bo­ret, ut suis re­bus su­per­es­se non pos­sit: vel si quid sa­cer­do­tium nanc­ti sint, ut dis­ce­de­re ab eo si­ne re­li­gio­ne non pos­sint. nam et hi in per­pe­tuum ex­cu­san­tur. 1Duo ge­ne­ra tri­buen­dae mu­ne­ris pu­bli­ci va­ca­tio­nis sunt, unum ple­nius, cum et mi­li­tiae da­tur, aliud ex­iguius, cum nu­dam mu­ne­ris va­ca­tio­nem ac­ce­pe­rint. 2Qui au­tem non ha­bet ex­cu­sa­tio­nem, et­iam in­vi­tus iu­di­ca­re co­gi­tur. 3Si post cau­sam ac­tam coe­pe­rit se ex­cu­sa­re iu­dex, si qui­dem pri­vi­le­gio, quod ha­buit an­te­quam sus­ci­pe­ret iu­di­cium, ve­lit se ex­cu­sa­re, nec au­dien­dus est: se­mel enim ad­gnos­cen­do iu­di­cium re­nun­tiat ex­cu­sa­tio­ni. quod si post­ea ius­ta cau­sa in­ci­dit, ut iu­dex vel ad tem­pus ex­cu­se­tur, non de­bet in alium iu­di­cium trans­fer­ri, si cum cap­tio­ne id fu­tu­rum est al­ter­utrius. to­le­ra­bi­lius de­ni­que est in­ter­dum iu­di­cem qui se­mel co­gno­ve­rat tan­tis­per ex­spec­ta­re, quam iu­di­ci no­vo rem rur­sum iu­di­can­dam com­mit­te­re.

13Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book XXII. When the Prætor ascertains that anyone is unable to act as judge, he promises to excuse him; for instance, where he cannot serve on account of bad health, and it is certain that he is incapable of discharging the duties appertaining to a civil office; or when he is suffering under some disease which prevents him from transacting his own business; or if he is performing sacerdotal duties, and cannot conscientiously relinquish them; for such persons are excused for life. 1There are two ways of granting exemption from public employment: one, which is permanent, such as is granted to a soldier; another, which is for a short time, as when anyone obtains the mere exemption from an employment. 2Moreover, anyone who has no excuse can even be compelled to act as judge against his will. 3If a judge desires to excuse himself on account of the privilege to which he was entitled before he accepted the office, and this is done after he has begun to take cognizance of a case, he should not be heard; for by once accepting the office he renounces all right to an excuse. If, however, some just cause should afterwards arise so that he can temporarily be excused, the case should not be submitted to another magistrate, if there is any danger of either of the parties suffering injustice; for it is sometimes better to wait until the judge who has once taken cognizance of the case can return than to commit it to another to be decided.

14Mo­des­ti­nus li­bro sep­ti­mo re­gu­la­rum. Ad ex­cu­sa­tio­nem mu­ne­rum de­func­tus fi­lius non pro­sit, prae­ter­quam in bel­lo amis­sus. 1Eo­dem tem­po­re idem duas cu­ras ope­ris non ad­mi­nis­tra­bit.

14Modestinus, Rules, Book VII. The death of a son is no advantage to his father as an excuse from public employment, unless he was killed in battle. 1The same person shall not supervise the construction of two public works at the same time.