Curiosities of ancient Rome (Law)

The knowledge of the origins of universities is mostly found in the Middle Ages, referring to the founding of the first university in Bologna, which took place around 1088. Of course, this university achieved great success in the process of restoring the former splendor to the Roman legal system, represented by Irnerius and the school of glossators he founded, however, it must be realized that the ancient Romans were pioneers in the field of organized law teaching and the study of its functioning.

Due to the growing administration and advanced law, ancient Rome finally had to deal with the issue of document forgery, and it was one of the most serious felonies.

Companies understood today as legal entities of commercial law did not exist in ancient Rome, but there were a similar legal institutions, echoes of which can be found in today’s law.

What was the legal position of women in ancient Rome? Books on Roman law, including, Witold Wołodkiewicz’s “Prawo rzymskie, Słownik Encyklopedyczny” provide many interesting facts about the rights and obligations that have changed over the centuries and concerned various groups.

In 18 BCE formed lex Iulia de maritandis ordinibus, introducing the obligation to remain married, and in the year 9 CE lex Papia Poppea, imposing the obligation to have children.

In Rome, patricide was considered one of the most socially offensive crimes. The punishment for such an offense in Latin was: poena cullei.

Together with the introduction in 212 CE the so-called edict of Caracalla (Constitutio Antoniniana) all free Romans (apart from peregrini dedicti – free foreigners) have been granted civil rights. It seemed that the emperor from that moment ruled over one and a common category of subjects. However, this is not true.