Selections from the Public and Private Law of the Romans

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 edition. Excerpt: ... si talem hominem invenerint, qui neque 5 tempus neque finem expensarum habet, sed bona sua dilacerando et dissipando profudit, curatorem ei dare exemplo' furiosi. Furiosi quoque et prodigi, licet maiores viginti quinque annis sint, tamen in curatione sunt 10 adgnatorum ex lege duodecim tabularum. Sed solent Romae praefectus urbis vel praetor et in provinciis prae sides ex inquisitione eis dare curatores. Sed et mente captis et surdis et mutis et qui morbo perpetuo laborant, quia rebus suis superesse non possunt, 15 curatores dandi sunt. Inst. 1, 23, 3 but could not alienate property or bind himself without the authority of his curator. Curators appointed by testament were admitted only after the confirmation of a magistrate. 13. mente captis et surdis et mutis: the cura debilium personarum included the oversight of those persons incapable of managing their own affairs because of stupidity (mente capti) or bodily infirmities (surdi, muti, morbo laborantes, etc). Curatores were appointed at the request of such persons and had the administration of their affairs. Debiles were capable of acquiring, alienating, binding themselves and making a testament. A curator might also be given to a nasciturus in anticipation of an inheritance (cura ventris); for the property of one in captivity or of a bankrupt (cura bonorum); for an inheritance not yet entered upon (hereditas iacens); for the conduct of a lawsuit, etc. For cura minorum, see note on si non, p. 120. Law of Things: res, in its broadest sense, designates everything capable of private ownership i.e. property. Every object of a proprietary right which lacks personality (including slaves, homines) is called res. Res embraces everything which adminis' ters to the wants and requirements of man....