Roman Law Timeline

Law of Citations

426

This enactment means that lawyers can only cite in the trials the following jurists: Papinianus, Paulus, Ulpianus and Gaius.
Thanks to this the Emperor could control jurists activity.

Codex Theodosianus

438

The Code was written in Latin.
On its content, public law predominates over private law and there are also rules aimed at imposing religious orthodoxy against heresies.

It is structured in 16 books divided into titles, in which Imperial Constitutions are appeared in chronological order.

Lex Burgundionum

475

Compiled by king Gundobad around year 500 a.C
The Burgundians learned Latin, from the Romans and wanted to set their laws down for posterity and distribution.
Because of this, it is influenced by Roman law and deals with domestic laws concerning marriage and inheritance and regulating other penalties.

Two Swords Theory

494

Developed by Pope Gelasius I
It is known as the resolution of the first confrontation between the Church -Canonical power- and the Emperor -Civil power-.
The Pope said that if each institution kept authority in their own field there will be harmony.

Justinian Codex

529

Compilation of imperial constitutions made by Justinian and a commission of jurists guided by Triboniano
In 534 a second version was published under the title Codex repetitae praelectionis. https://youtu.be/g5qlHiLTooY

Liber Iudiciorum

654

Also known as Lex Visigothorum.
Is a set of territorial laws divided into twelve books and promulgated by King Recesvinto.
It is known as the big legal work of the visigoth kingdom.

Irnerius birth

1050

The Jurist who directed the recomposition of Justinians Compilation and turned into Corpus Iurus Civilis.
Irnerius released that with Justinians Compilations legal problems of that age could be solved.
For that reason he tried to put in order and recomponse it in a modern way. His labour had a big importance.

Dictatus Papae

1075

It is known as a set of 27 propositions established by Pope Gregory VII in 1075 under the title ´´Quid valeant Pontifici Romani´´, dictated with the intention of strengthening the Church against the lay power. In this video we can appreciate the norms that were promulgated by the Pope
https://youtu.be/icqX8adgMOI

Foundation of Bologna University

1088

Rebirth of European jurisprudence here
-Bolonia was an important town with a huge trade activity In this town some jurists, specially Irnerius, thought that Justinian Compilation could be used as an instrument to give a legal answer for problems, but also it was the center of many studies developed on that age.

Libri Feudorum

1100

Collection of books written around the XII century in Lombardia where feudal customs were reflected.
It had a great acceptance because of the exposition rules of the relationship between the lord and the vassal.

Recompilation of the Digest by Irnerius

1120

This activity took from 1075 to 1120 (45 years)
The Recompilation of the Digest is commented by a method of exegesis, with interpretative and clarifying annotations in the margin, called glosses.

Lo Codi

1149

Legal text written between 1149 and 1160-70 in the Provence.
It became an important instrument of the penetration of Roman law, revitalized in the late Middle Ages.
It is a writing based on Roman law, following the plan of the studies of the Bolognese school, and inspired, it seems, in the analogous works, Rogerio's Sum codices trecensisy.

Corpus Iuris Civilis

1583

Complete edition of collected works published by Dionisio Godofredo in Geneva in 1583.
It served to educate generations of jurists who, later, would apply their knowledge in the exercise of law due to the big influence this Corpus had.
https://youtu.be/O_N_44r8LDs