# Institutes of Justinian 1.764-770

Roman Law and Society, Institutes of Justinian, Lines 1.764-1.770. Latin.

Canonical: https://interlinea.aeterna-institute.org/library/latin/roman-law-and-society/institutes-of-justinian/1.764

IV. Injuria.
Injuria, in its general sense, signifies every action contrary to law; in a special sense, it means, sometimes, the same as contumelia ("outrage"), which is derived from contemnere, the Greek ubris; sometimes the same as culpa ("fault"), in Greek adikama as in the lex Aquilia, which speaks of damage done injuria; sometimes it has the sense of iniquity, injustice, or in Greek adikia; for a person against whom the praetor or judge pronounces an unjust sentence is said to have received an injuria.
1. An injuria is committed not only by striking with the fists, or striking with clubs or the lash, but also by shouting until a crowd gathers around any one; by taking possession of anyone's goods pretending that he is a debtor to the inflictor of the injury who knows he has no claim on him; by writing, composing, or publishing a libel or defamatory verses against anyone, or by maliciously contriving that another does any of these things; by following after an honest woman, or a young boy or girl; by attempting the chastity of any one; and in short, by numberless other acts.
2. A man may receive an injuria, not only in his own person, but in that of his children in his power, and even in that of his wife, according to the opinion that has prevailed. If, therefore, you injure a daughter in the power of her father, but married to Titius, the actio for the injury may be brought not only in the name of the daughter herself, but also in that of the father or. husband. But, if a husband has sustained an injuria, the wife cannot bring the actio injuriarum, for the husband is the protector of the wife, not the wife of the husband. The father-in-law may also bring this actio in the name of his daughter-in-law, if her husband is in his power.

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Roman Law and Society, Institutes of Justinian. Text: The Latin Library (thelatinlibrary.com), used with permission. Changes: HTML markup removed and the text divided into reading sections by Interlinea.
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