Date of Award

Spring 2006

Document Type

Legacy Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

History

College

College of Humanities and Fine Arts

First Advisor

Florence Eliza Glaze

Abstract/Description

Justinian sought to recapture and revitalize the spirit of classical Roman jurisprudence, yet the Digest offers nothing new; old ideas and commentaries transposed to fit contemporary needs. Justinian's great success was preservation; the original versions of most of these jurists' writings have been lost, but because of the work of Justinian, we still have some idea as to the colossal reason behind Roman jurisprudence. Civil law requires an understanding of circumstance; different situations require different measures. This fact makes law in constant evolution, and this evolution can be seen in tracing the laws of 2nd century CE classical Rome to the 14th century manuscript pastedowns I received from Duke University and ultimately to the foundation of civil law codes around the world.

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