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by Andrew
Borkowski (Author),
Paul du Plessis
(Author)
Within the space of a thousand years, Roman society
transformed itself from an insignificant tribe on the Italian mainland
struggling for territorial supremacy, to one of the most accomplished
civilisations of the ancient world, whose Empire extended over the
greater part of Western Europe, the Mediterranean and northern Africa.
This transformation was not a chance event. It was a direct result of the
Roman genius for government and the law. Through a relentless campaign of
"empire building", Roman armies conquered and subjugated vast
territories. Unlike other conquerors of the ancient world, however, the
Romans were keenly aware that their dominance of these regions could only
be maintained through a process of "Romanization" that included
the installation of an effective bureaucracy utilising a flexible system
of law. Although the Roman Empire was destined to disintegrate over time,
its legal system left an indelible imprint on Western Europe. Roman law,
as rediscovered
by the Italian Glossators in the
eleventh century, provided the conceptual foundation of many modern legal
systems, and continues to provide an invaluable introduction to paradigms
of legal thought and the study of legal concepts. Above all, Roman law is
richly rewarding to study for its own sake, as a remarkable feat of
organized good sense and structured orderliness.
The book provides students with a lucid and readable
exposition of Roman civil law and procedure. To make the subject more
accessible, the author sets the law in the context of the history of Rome
and keeps the use of Latin phrases to a minimum. A major feature of the
book is the use of texts (in translation) from the most important sources
of Roman law. The texts serve to illustrate the law and to make it more
vivid for the reader.
This third edition has been fully updated to reflect
recent developments in Romanist scholarship. References to key articles
and books have been incorporated into the text and further reading
sections included at the end of each chapter. The final chapter on Roman
law and the European ius commune has been substantially expanded.
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 Visit
Book Website: Online Resource Centre, Oxford University Press
· Glossary of Latin terms appearing in the
text.
· Annotated web links to search engines
and websites devoted to Roman law.
· Comprehensive time line incorporating
Roman legal and social history.
· Short biographies of key figures in
Roman legal history.
· Original Latin versions of citations
reproduced in the book
· Multiple choice questions covering each
chapter.
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