The Roman Law of Inheritance: The Evolution of the Roman Law of Inheritance during the Principate

Babusiaux, Ulrike

ISBN 10: 1399531662 / ISBN 13: 9781399531665

Published by Edinburgh University Press, 2026

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 409697353

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Roman Law of Inheritance: The Evolution of the Roman Law of Inheritance during the Principate
• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1399531662
• ISBN 13: 9781399531665
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Fritz Schulz once famously described the Roman law of inheritance as "labyrinthine" and it is deemed to be the most complex part of the Roman legal system. As Rome evolved from a city-state to an imperial power, the rules of inheritance often changed because of the economic importance of acquisition at death. These changes are reflected in the Corpus iuris civilis, despite the best efforts of the compilers of the Corpus to eliminate variations in the text in order to standardise the existing material for the purposes of their compilation.

The Roman Law of Inheritance gives the reader an insight into the content, structure and evolution of Roman inheritance law and provides an understanding of a fundamental part of Roman legal thought. In addition, it tackles the most difficult features of Roman law of inheritance, including the fideicommissa and the interpretation of wills which are explained against the background of historical stratification.

About the Author

Ulrike Babusiaux is a Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Zurich.