Pe'dius, Sextus
a Roman jurist, whose writings were apparently known to Pomponius (
Dig. 4. tit. 3. s. 1.4). His name Sextus appears in a passage of Paulus (
Dig. 4. tit. 8. s. 32.20), and in other passages. Pedius was younger than Ofilius [OFILIUS], or at least a contemporary (
Dig. 14. tit. 1. s. 1.9): and the same remark applies to Sabinus (
Dig. 50. tit. 6. s. 13.1), where Massurius Sabinus is meant.
He is most frequently cited by Paulus and Ulpian.
He is also cited by Julian (
Dig. 3. tit. 5. s. 6.9). We may, therefore, conclude that he lived before the time of Hadrian.
He wrote
Libri ad Edictum, of which the twenty-fifth is quoted by Paulus (
Dig. 37. tit. 1. s. 6.2).
He also wrote
Libri de Stipulationibus (12. tit. 1. s. 6).
The passages which are cited from him show that he had a true perception of the right method of legal interpretation; for instance, he says, in a passage quoted by Paulus, "it is best not to scrutinize the proper signification of words, but mainly what the testator has intended to declare ; in the next place, what is the opinion of those who live in each district" (
De Instructo vel Instrumento Legato, Dig. 33. tit. 7. s. 18.3).
In another passage quoted by Ulpian (
Dig. 1. tit. 3. s. 13), Pedius observes "that when one or two things are introduced by a lex, it is a good ground for supplying the rest which tends to the same useful purpose, by interpretation, or at least by jurisdictio." (Grotius,
Vitae Jurisconsultorum ; Zimmern,
Geschichte des Raöm. Privatrechts, p. 333; the passages of the Digest in which Sextus Pedius is cited are collected by Wieling,
Jurisprudentia Restitula, p. 335.)
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