Roman Legal History

A detailed schedule (Ablaufplan) for this course is available in German only.

Moday, 14-16, C 01

Course Description

The subject of this course is the history of Roman law from its beginning to the time of Justinian's codification in the sixth century AD. The course will trace the changes in the constuitution of the Roman state from the times of the early kings and the emergence of the aristocratic republic up to the absolute rule of the emperors in late antiquity. The evolution of private and criminal law will be treated as well.

The course is primarily aimed at students who have chosen »Foundations of the Evolution of Law in Europe« as their area of specialisation (Schwerpunktbereich I). It is, however, to all students interested to deepen their knowledge of Roman Law. ERASMUS students can take an oral exam at the end of the semester. Please contact me by December if you wish to take an oral exam.

Suggested reading

For a detailed list of literature in German please refer to the German version of this page. If you are interested in a short text covering the subject of this course in English, take a look at the following work:

  • Olga Tellegen-Couperus, A Short History of Roman Law, 1993. Library Shelfmark: wa12755.

    You are also encouraged to consider the following text, which is somewhat outdated, but particularly inspiring and well-written:
  • Fritz Schulz, History of Roman Legal Science, 1946. Library Shelfmark: wa5735.

A detailed schedule (Ablaufplan) for this course is available in German only.