Laying Down the Law : A Study of the Theodosian Code
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
This book offers for the first time a clear and comprehensive guide to the interpretation of the Theodosian Code, a collection of Roman imperial legislation that is fundamental to understanding nearly every aspect of the history of the late Roman Empire. John F. Matthews sets the Code in the legal and political context of the fifth century and explains how the compilation was planned, designed, and published.
From the Inside Flap
The Theodosian Code-a collection of Roman imperial legislation of the period from Constantine the Great to Theodosius II-is a fundamental source for understanding the legal, social, economic, cultural, and religious history of the later Roman Empire. More than 2,700 of the 3,500 original texts of the Code survive, illuminating issues as wide-ranging as prison conditions and rural patronage, intestate succession, and the pork supply for the city of Rome. Yet no recent study has closely examined how the Code was prepared, and this gap has hindered accurate interpretation. Laying Down the Law offers for the first time a clear and comprehensive guide to the interpretation of the Theodosian Code. John F. Matthews, a leading authority on the late Roman Empire, examines in detail the planning, design, and publication of the Code.Matthews sets in legal and political context the recognition in the fifth century of the need for a codification of imperial legislation, describes the editorial principles upon which the work was based, and considers how these principles affected the shape of the Code. Combining legal with historical evidence, Matthews shows the Theodosian Code in a new and more accurate light, emphasizing its importance as a prime source of information on the later Roman Empire.
Laying Down the Law : A Study of the Theodosian Code
Laying Down the Law: A Study of the Theodosian Code,John Matthews,Yale University Press,0300079001,Ancient - Rome,Codex Theodosianus,General,History & Theory - General,Law,Legal History,Legal Reference / Law Profession,Roman Law,Ancient Rome,BCE to c 500 CE,Constitution: government & the state,Constitutional & administrative law,European history: BCE to c 500 CE,Law / Legal History
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