Justinian’s Prohibition of Commentaries and the Remarks by Byzantine Antecessor Stephanus: A Contradiction?
In constitution Deo Auctore 12, it is stated that jurists should not add commentaries to the Digest, nor spoil its brevity with excessive verbiage. Only Emperor Justinian was to speak through the voices of the classical jurists and his predecessors. A similar prohibition is found in constitution Tanta/Δέδωκεν 21: no one may write a commentary on existing or future statutes, unless they wish to translate them into Greek, and then only by means of a verbatim translation (κατὰ πόδα). Annotations described as παράτιτλα were also permitted. The rationale behind this prohibition was that conflicting interpretations could lead to confusion within the legal system. Nevertheless, there were numerous remarks on the Corpus iuris civilis during the sixth century. In fact, legal literature was thriving at that time. For example, the sixth-century Byzantine antecessor Stephanus made many remarks on the Digest in his teaching. Numerous fragments of these Greek remarks have been handed down, particularly in the ninth-century Basilica.
This lecture will explore the meaning of the prohibition of commentaries on the Digest. Furthermore, examples will illustrate how Stephanus interpreted the Digest in his teaching, despite the prohibition of commentaries.
Hylkje de Jong (1971) is Professor of Legal History at the Vrije University Amsterdam. She has previously published Stephanus en zijn Digestenonderwijs (2008), Ἐντολή (mandatum) in den Basiliken (2019), Het geheugen van het recht 1. Een inleiding in de uitwendige rechtsgeschiedenis (2024), Het geheugen van het recht 2. Een inleiding in de inwendige rechtsgeschiedenis (2024), as co-author Frisian Land Law. A Critical Edition and Translation of the Freeska Landriucht (2023) and articles on Byzantine law and on the reception of Roman law.
The lecture will be held in English.
Admission to the event is free.
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Wednesday, 30. October 2024, 4:15 p.m.
University of Hamburg, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures
Warburgstraße 26, Room 0001 (Pavillon)
20354 Hamburg
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online (dial-in data for the Zoom conference after registration)
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