Roman Law and the Legal World of the Romans

Roman Law is best summarized in the Code of Justinian, yet that was written in the East in Constantinople and in the 6th century AD. Thus there is a millennia or more of what is Roman Law and especially law in Rome. This book by Riggsby is a readily accessible summary of this earlier period. Whereas the Justinian Code was to have codified and clarified much of the older Roman Laws, it is at best a snapshot of what 6th Century Byzantine writers reporting to the Emperor saw as the law.Riggsby does a reasonable job in summarizing what came before the Justinian Code. The laws in Rome for the most part were the laws for Romans mostly in Rome. Thus the author details such elements as property law, torts, family law, inheritance, religious law and criminal law. Law as a profession was, as it was to be for centuries, a trade learned by an apprenticeship, albeit socially elevated. There were those who understood the law, those who pleaded a case and those who adjudicated.As the author notes, Roman law in the Republic and then under the Emperors had some consistency but its use by Romans was limited by many circumstances. For example, criminal law in Rome itself was haphazard since on the one hand there was no police force as we know it and on the other hand the army was prohibited from entering Rome, except perhaps in the case of Julius Caesar.This is an excellent introduction to Roman Law. However, if the reader wants to understand how this fits in context, it is worth examining Greek Law, mostly city state and tradition, the Code of Justinian, mentioned but not discussed at any length, and then also Salic Law, the law of the Germanic tribes whose presence ultimately ed to the collapse of Rome. The of course there is Biblical Laws, which were highly structured and enforced.Notwithstanding, this is an excellent introduction and worth the read.

Level of detail, clarity both excellent for readers seeking solid intro to Roman law. Stays with subject, ventures only minimally into cultural, political history of Rome.

Concise and easy to understand.

thanks

Some concepts are kinda ill-defined but it's a good introductory book on Roman laws.

Book used in my dissertation

Reliable. On time as described. No new issues.