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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: H. Milford, Oxford university press in 1914 in 157 pages; Subjects: Imperialism; Roman law; Law; Rome; Great Britain; History / Ancient / Rome; History / Europe / Great Britain; Law / General; Law / Legal History; Political Science / General; ... Read more

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This text focuses on the legal status of the Jews within the Roman Empire and the changes that this underwent when the empire became Christian. Conflicts between Roman and Jewish jurisdiction form an important theme, while particular studies deal with questions of conversion, the observance of the Sabbath and Festivals, Hadrian's decree prohibiting circumcision, and with the treatment given to the Samaritans. In the field of family law, Profesor Rabello looks at issues to do with the patria potestas, family courts, marriage and divorce, and it is in these areas, he would hold, that a basic understanding can be found of how the early Catholic Church treated Jews and Judaism. ... Read more

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This new book by an eminent legal scholar and author can be described in a number of ways: a work of reference; an essay in the study of style; a contribution to the prosopography of the late Roman quaestorship; and a reflection on the fall of the western (and on the survival of the eastern) Roman empire. Using an innovative method of analysis--already successfully employed in his acclaimed Emperors and Lawyers (OUP 1994)--the author examines the laws of a crucial phase of the later Roman empire (379-455 AD), a period during which the west collapsed while the east persisted. He allots the laws to their likely drafters and shows why the eastern Theodosian Code (429-438 AD), intended to restore the legal and administrative unity of the Roman empire, came too late to save the west. The book includes a Palingenesia--as stored on an accompanying floppy disk--allowing scholars to read the primary texts chronologically and judge the soundness of the arguments advanced. ... Read more

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A study of `imperialistic reaction': the attempt made in the reign of the Emperor Charles VI to re-establish imperial authority and the consequent brief halt in the decline and disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire and the Emperor's loss of power. ... Read more

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Law and Empire is the first systematic treatment in English by a historian of the nature, aims and efficacy of public law in the society of the Later Roman Empire. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the author offers new interpretations of central issues in the study of Roman law--what it was and how effective: contemporary attitudes to torture and punishment, judicial corruption, and the settlement of disputes. ... Read more

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A fine introduction...highly recommended
Jill Harries' work is a well written and economical portrait of the Late Roman legal system and the Law's central importance to the Late Antique notion of Empire.Itcomplements well the recent more technical works of Tony Honoré ("Law in the Crisis of Empire 379-455 AD : The Theodosian Dynasty and Its Quaestors") and John Matthews ("Laying Down the Law : A Study of the Theodosian Code").

Although at times perhaps over-defensive about the use of violence in Late Antique Roman Law, Harries book generally provides an extremely well-balanced and lucid account of the theoretical and practical functioning of the Late Roman legal system.The book is accessible for beginners (whether interested in Late Antiquity, Roman Law, or, more generally in the functioning of "Law").In addition, Harries' monograph serves as a useful reference and jumping off point for in-depth study and debate by scholars.

"Law and Empire in Late Antiquity" should be read by all with an interest in Late Antiquity or the history of law.Above all, it is an entertaining read, rich with detail, but with a eye toward presenting the topic with clarity and concision.In my opinion, Harries' book is the best introduction to the topic.I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Hopefully it will eventually be released in paperback, although I wouldn't hold my breath... ... Read more

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Comparison between Roman and Han Empires. Military of ancient Rome, Culture of ancient Rome, Huo Qubing, Wei Qing, Emperor Wu of Han, Roman mythology, Roman music, Chinese character, Confucianism, Roman law, Government of the Han Dynasty, Science and technology of the Han Dynasty, Roman technology, Roman architecture, End of the Han Dynasty, Decline of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire ... Read more

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Although "The Present State of Germany" was first made available in English over three centuries ago, it has been virtually unavailable in English since the period of the American Founding. By 1696, Pufendorf was well known in England as a staunch defender of the Protestant cause and as one of the renovators of natural law. His writings were familiar to such luminaries as Locke and figured prominently in James Tyrell's "Patriarcha non Monarcha" (1681). ... Read more

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Informative and instructive volume
Originally published in 1667 by Sweden's and Brandenburg's official state historian Samuel Pufendorf (1632-1694), The Present State of Germany is a classic volume that sparked incendiary debate in its time due to its controversial and utterly unapologetic deconstruction of mainstream German constitutional law. This edition has been meticulously assembled by comparing its 1696 translation by Edmund Bohun with Pufendorf's 1667 Latin original and Gundling's 1706 edition. The original prefaces to the two Latin editions have been translated into English for the first time, and an introduction by editor Michael J. Seidler offers historical and philosophical setting and context. An index rounds out this informative and instructive volume which is very highly recommended for classic history text reference collections. ... Read more

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This study analyses how Rome, in first century AD Palestine, reacted against troublemakers who rejected playing by the rules of the Roman Empire. It focuses particularly on Jesus' movement and other contemporary prophetic-messianic figures. German text ... Read more

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The legal history of Rome begins properly with the Twelve Tables. It is strictly the first and the only Roman code,[1] collecting the earliest known laws of the Roman people and forming the foundation of the whole fabric of Roman Law. Its importance lies in the fact that by its promulgation was substituted for an unwritten usage, of which the knowledge had been confined to some citizens of the community, a public and written body of laws, which were easily accessible to and strictly binding on all citizens of Rome.
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Subjects: Roman lawNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An established and sound translation
I've an older edition of this translation and I've enjoyed working my way through this work; one that shows the modern reader some of the ancient roots, the fairly consistent, and stable tradition of law in the Western World.

Of course, as one reads this work and finds distasteful references to slaves (a major part of the laws of the time were devoted to the maintenance and governance of this horrible institution) and perceives too the much diminished rights of women in Romano-Byzantine society, one is also grateful that our legal system is one that has also changed and improved greatly over the centuries.

Another observation one gains from this textbook for law students, which accompanied the new code issued by Justinian, is the continuity and direct development of precedent setting laws from earlier Roman times (the Twelve Tables, the laws and codes of past Roman emperors) to the reign of Justinian.The division between "Roman" and "Byzantine" is artificial, and the date for that artificial division differs in different disciplines. The Institutes show clearly that to the Romano-Byzantine peoples, the development of their laws was a development of their ancient, if changing, society rather than an example of any radical change or break at some point.

One of the things I've done is to write down words that are unfamiliar to me as I read through portions of this work, and then look them up using the eighth edition of Black's Law Dictionary.Because I am not a lawyer many of these words are new to my vocabulary.I have generally found that 85% or more of the terms used by Justinian (at least as translated by Mr. Moyle) are still in use, or at least to be found in the modern edition of this law dictionary.

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"The legal history of Rome begins properly with the Twelve Tables. It is strictly the first and the only Roman code,[1] collecting the earliest known laws of the Roman people and forming the foundation of the whole fabric of Roman Law. Its importance lies in the fact that by its promulgation was substituted for an unwritten usage, of which the knowledge had been confined to some citizens of the community, a public and written body of laws, which were easily accessible to and strictly binding on all citizens of Rome. " ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Useful for insight, but not as history
Ottonian Germany: The Chronicon of Thietmar of Mersebrg is more useful as a means of getting an insight into the culture, politics and mindset of the Holy Roman Empire of the 10th and 11th centuries than as any kind of actual history of the period. It helps to understand that it was written, not by a historian trying to make sense of the period but by a bishop who lived during the period and had connections to many of the key players of the day. It also helps to remember that a chronicon, or chronicle, is not a proper history but "a narrative historical account of events arranged in order of time usually without analysis or interpretation". And lastly, it helps to accept up front that Thietmar, though very much a man of his time, was in no way a professional writer and that reading his chronicon requires a certain dogged determination on the part of the reader.

That said, I feel that Thietmar's Chronicon does have value if what you want is some insight into the culture, politics and mindset of the world Thietmar lived in. In the Chronicon, you get a sense of the constant three-way power struggle that characterized the Holy Roman Empire, a loose empire of individual principalities (each with its own duke, king, count, margrave and other titled nobility) with the Emperor at the top and with the church as the binding cultural force. Much of the chronicon deals with the never-ending conflicts between the Emperor and the nobility, between the nobility and the church, and between the church and the emporer. Thietmar's perspective, as a bishop and as a member of the nobility, gives a unique insight into the dynamics of these struggles, ones in which divided loyalties were a common problem. This was further complicated by the fact that there were no clear dividing lines between the three sides, since most of the higher clergy were members of the nobility and many of the nobility had familial ties to the Emperor. And on top of that, when the Emperor was not fighting with the nobility himself, he was having to try to keep the nobility from fighting each other (fueding nobles were a constant problem) and to keep the empire from falling victim to external threats as well. Poland (or what would later be Poland) was a particular thorn in the empire's side.

Another useful insight of the book is how clear it was that the church was deeply political itself, with internal struggles for power, position and property on top of the external struggles with the nobility over the very same things. In order to acquire his bishopric, Thietmar himself had to bargain and barter with an uncle whose cooperation he needed to be confirmed in his position and with the bishop already holding the post:

"At that time, a cleric of noble lineage, named Dietrich, lived in our vicinity.On the recommendation of the aforementioned count, he acquired the provostship in return for ten manses. After he had occupied it for more than ten years, my mother died. As the third son, I then inherited the abbey and received half of its property from my brothers. Thereafter, I frequently asked my uncle to let me assume the provostship and do so as a gift or at least for a modest price. After long and difficult negotiations, he asked me for a large payment, ignoring the obligations of both love and affinity. In the absence of support from my brothers, I agreed to his demand and was made protector of this church of which I was already a servant through my paternal inheritance on 7 May of the year 1002. The cooperation of my predecessor was obtained in return for acceptable compensation."

Yet another insight of the book is how much superstition and mysticism played a role in the culture of the times, even among the clergy. Ottonian Germany was very much a time and place of miracles, omens and prophetic dreams, as can be seen in the following typical passages:

"In the following year, at the rooster's first crow, a light as bright as day shone from the north and remained for one hour but vanished as the rest of the sky grew red. Some people claim that, in the same year, they saw three suns, three moons, and the stars doing battle with one another. After this, Archbishop Ekbert of Trier died and was succeeded by Liudolf; likewise Dodo of Munster after whom Swidger was consecrated; and Erp of Verden who was succeeded by the provest of the cathedral, Bernhar. A great famine also oppressed our regions."

"Meanwhile, in a certain village called Hordorf, an infant was born who was only half human; from behind he was similar to a goose, his right ear and eye were smaller than the left, his teeth were yellow as saffron; he lacked four fingers on his left hand with only the thumb being normal; before his baptism he had a rather dazed expression but afterwards nothing at all. He died on the fourth day. Becuase of our misdeeds, this monster brought a great pestilence."

This also illustrates one of the more frustrating aspects of the book. Thietmar will often go on for pages about events surrounding the death or succession of various members of the clergy, and then throw in as an afterthought one-line asides akin to "And there was a famine" (or war, flood or plague) and then go on with no further description or comment on the matter.

There are more interesting anecdotes mixed in, such as when Thietmar's uncles are captured by pirates and held for ransom and when some particularly unpleasant noble gets his comeuppance. And some of the descriptions of battles are quite vivid as well.

All that said, if you can get through Thietmar's meandering, haphazard and anecdotal style, you do come away with a definite feel for the period with its endless conflicts and shifting loyalties, and its overwhelming religiousity combined with deep superstition and hard-nosed politicking. The book does have definite value in that context, but you really have to work to get it. With that mind, I would recommend it to serious students of the period.

Good source- Great Intro
Thietmar was a bishop of Merseburg which is in what is now Germany. His chronicle covers the reigns of Henry I, Otto I, II & III, and Henry II. This is a valuable source finally available in English.

Because I am new to this timeperiod in medieval history, the extensive background material provided by the translater David A. Warner was a big bonus. Also included are extensive footnotes, geneologies, maps, an index and a bibliograhy.

I rate this a 'must have' source for those with an interest in the period.

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