An Introduction To Roman Legal And Constitutional History

Traces the development of Roman Law historically from the earliest times until the age of Justinian.

The object of this book is to provide collateral reading for students of Latin to supplement the ordinary school histories of Rome, and especially, to furnish an introduction to a thorough study of the political institutions of the Roman republic--Preface.

This book equips both lawyer and historian with a complete history of Roman law, from its beginnings c.1000 BC through to its re-discovery in Europe where it was widely applied until the eighteenth century. Combining a law specialist’s informed perspective of legal history with a socio-political and cultural focus, it examines the sources of law, the ways in which these laws were applied and enforced, and the ways the law was influenced and progressed, with an exploration of civil and criminal procedures and special attention paid to legal science. The final chapter covers the history of Roman law in late antiquity and appraises the move towards the codification of law that culminated in the final statement of Roman law: the Corpus Iuris Civilis of Emperor Justinian. Throughout the book, George Mousourakis highlights the relationship between Roman law and Roman life by following the lines of the major historical developments. Including bibliographic references and organized accessibly by historical era, this book is an excellent introduction to the history of Roman law for students of both law and ancient history.

Roman law forms an important part of the intellectual background of many legal systems currently in force in continental Europe, Latin America and other parts of the world. This book traces the historical development of Roman law from the earliest period of Roman history up to and including Justinian's codification in the sixth century AD. It examines the nature of the sources of law, forms of legal procedure, the mechanisms by which legal judgments were put into effect, the development of legal science and the role of the jurists in shaping the law. The final chapter of the book outlines the history of Roman law during the Middle Ages and discusses the way in which Roman law furnished the basis of the civil law systems of continental Europe. The book combines the perspectives of legal history with those of social, political and economic history. Special attention is given to the political development of the Roman society and to the historical events and socio-economic factors that influenced the growth and progress of the law. Designed to provide a general introduction to the history of Roman law, this book will appeal to law students whose course of studies includes Roman law, legal history and comparative law. It will also prove of value to students and scholars interested in ancient history and classics.

Excerpt from Roman Constitutional History: 753-44 B. C The object of this book is to provide collateral reading for students of Latin, to supplement the ordinary school histories of Rome, and, especially, to furnish an introduction to a thorough study of the political institutions of the Roman republic. The denarius has been valued at twenty-two cents, and the sestertius at five and a half cents. In statements concerning the census and the number of citizens, the year when the censors were elected has been given. Whenever the letters a.d. have not been added, dates always refer to the time b.c. For the convenience of readers who have not studied Latin, nearly all technical terms have been translated. Of the many eminent authorities on Roman Constitutional History and Law, I am by far the most indebted to Theodor Mommsen, Ernst Herzog, Ludwig Lange, and Pierre Willems. I wish also to acknowledge my great obligations to Professors F. W. Kelsey and J. H. Drake of Michigan University, and Professors J. S. Clark and J. B. Pike of the University of Minnesota. The General Editors of this Series have read with the greatest care both the manuscript and the proofs, and have throughout rendered invaluable assistance. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.