Roman laws covered all facets of daily life. They were concerned with crime and punishment, land and property ownership, commerce, the maritime and agricultural industries, citizenship, sexuality and prostitution, slavery and manumission, politics, liability and damage to property, and preservation of the peace. We can study these laws today thanks to ancient legal texts, literature, papyri, wax tablets and inscriptions.
More about: Roman LawServer Costs Fundraiser 2024
Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Please donate and contribute to covering our server costs in 2024. With your support, millions of people learn about history entirely for free every month.
$3926 / $18000
Definition
Timeline
-
450 BCEThe laws of the 'Twelve Tables', the basis of Roman law, are compiled.
-
367 BCELaw passed enabling Roman plebians to become consuls.
-
339 BCEThe leges Publilae decrees that one of Rome's two censors must be a plebeian.
-
c. 242 BCESpecial magistrates (praetor peregrinus) begin to oversee legal disputes concerning non-Roman citizens.
-
131 CEThe Praetor's Edict is first codified, an annual pronouncement on alterations to Roman law.
-
212 CECaracalla's edict grants Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the Roman Empire.
-
c. 292 CEThe 'Codex Gregorianus' is compiled, a collection of summaries of Roman legal documents.
-
295 CEThe 'Codex Hermogenianus' is compiled, a collection of summaries of Roman legal documents.
-
c. 430 CE - 439 CEThe 'Theodosian Code', a collection of over 2,700 Roman laws is compiled.
-
528 CE - 534 CEThe 'Codex Iustinianus' is compiled, a collection of summaries of Roman legal documents.
-
533 CEThe 'Digest' part of the 'Corpus Iuris Civilus' is composed and summarises over 2000 Roman legal documents.
