Full Description
Roman Law: An Introduction offers a clear and accessible introduction to Roman law for students of any legal tradition. In the thousand years between the Law of the Twelve Tables and Justinian's massive Codification, the Romans developed the most sophisticated and comprehensive secular legal system of Antiquity, which remains at the heart of the civil law tradition of Europe, Latin America, and some countries of Asia and Africa. Roman lawyers created new legal concepts, ideas, rules, and mechanisms that most Western legal systems still apply. The study of Roman law thus facilitates understanding among people of different cultures by inspiring a kind of legal common sense and breadth of knowledge.
Based on over twenty-five years' experience teaching Roman law, this volume offers a comprehensive examination of the subject, as well as a historical introduction which contextualizes the Roman legal system for students who have no familiarity with Latin or knowledge of Roman history. More than a compilation of legal facts, the book captures the defining characteristics and principal achievements of Roman legal culture through a millennium of development.
Contents
Preface; Abbreviations; Chronological tables; Part One: Roman law in historical context; Chapter One: Basic legal concepts and values; Chapter Two: Constitutional background of Roman law; Chapter Three: Sources of Roman law; Chapter Four: The jurists and the legal science; Chapter Five: Justinian and the Corpus Iuris; Chapter Six: The revival of Roman law; Part Two: Roman law in action; Chapter Seven: Civil litigation; Chapter Eight: Family law; Chapter Nine: Property law; Chapter Ten: The law of succession; Chapter Eleven: The law of obligations I: contracts; Chapter Twelve: The law of obligations II: delicts; General bibliography; Index
