Roman law

Roman law comprised the statutes, legal procedures, institutions, and juristic writings of ancient Rome. Its rules evolved from the Twelve Tables and were systematized in Justinian’s sixth-century compilations.

Twelve Tables: The earliest surviving codification of Roman law, traditionally dated to the mid-fifth century BCE. They established a public written foundation for Rome’s later legal development.
Roman civil procedure: The rules and formal steps governing lawsuits in ancient Rome. Procedural forms determined how a legal claim could be brought and decided.
Roman customary law: Legal practices accepted through long-standing usage in Roman society. Customary rules preceded written statutes and continued to influence Roman legal reasoning.
Civil law (legal system): A legal tradition based primarily on comprehensive written codes and statutes rather than judicial precedent. Many civil-law systems developed through the later study of Roman legal materials.
Greek law: The laws and legal institutions of ancient Greek communities, which varied among city-states. Its city-state diversity contrasts with Rome’s long-running, expanding legal tradition.
Roman Senate: The principal deliberative body of ancient Rome, whose authority and political role changed over time. Senatorial decisions became a recognized source of law under the emperors.
Legis actio: An archaic Roman civil procedure in which litigants had to use prescribed words and gestures. Its strict formalism shows the early limits on bringing a Roman lawsuit.
Roman Republic: The period of Roman government before the establishment of the emperors, conventionally dated 509–27 BCE. The Republic produced the Twelve Tables and institutions that shaped early Roman law.
Glossators: Medieval scholars who annotated and interpreted Roman law texts, especially the Corpus Juris Civilis. Their study revived Roman law as a practical and scholarly tradition in Europe.
Canon law: The law governing the organization and practices of Christian churches. Medieval jurists developed canon law alongside Roman law, creating a distinct legal tradition.

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