Roman Law

The course is dedicated to a complete exposition of the basic principles of Roman Private Law, and particularly of the following subjects: the plurality of Roman Legal Systems, the Civil Process in its storic evolution, Law of persons and family, Acts and legal transactions, Ownership and other Rights in rem, Law of Obligations, Successions. In the lessons 'll be explained also the cases exposed by Roman jurists on the arguments of the course.

The course, for which a basic knowledge of Roman history is expected, centres on the analysis of the Institutions of private Roman law, through a study which recounts their origins and development, always taking into account the different phases and factors governing the evolution of ancient legal history. In this study the different jurisprudential trends and the legal perspective will always be borne in mind.
In particular the following features will be analysed from a historical perspective: the sources of Roman law. The trial. The contractual acts. Individuals and family law. Definitions and classification of the res; real rights, property, servitude, other iura in re aliena, ownership, interdictions of owners. Obligations. Donations; mortis causa successions.

Institutions of Roman Law studies the legal rules that regulated the lives of Roman citizens for more than one thousand four hundred years: since the foundation of Rome (753 BCE) until the death of Justinian (565 CE). It therefore offers the possibility to follow the changes of a legal system that - although loyal to its principles - knew how to profoundly modify itself and adapt to social, economic and political changes that transformed the burg of shepherds into an Empire that dominated the world. But the fundamental importance of Roman law in legal studies is tied to the influence that Justinian law had on the formation of laws in a large part of modern European countries (and in some extra-European countries). Indeed, over a series of occurrences, the principles, concepts and many precepts of Roman law were absorbed by the legal codes of these countries, making the study of Roman law an essential part of legal education even today.
Analytical program:
Historical introduction to Roman law - Sources of law - Law of persons, family and marriage - Acts - Private trial - Obligations - Rights in rem - Successions.

The program of Roman Institutes concerns the evolution of Privat Law in Rome in the period from 753 b.C., foundation date of Rome, and 565 a.C., year in which Emperor Justinian died.
The lessons will describe the main principles of the most significative areas of the subject, with the objective of recovering the historic roots of the different modern institutes, also taking into account that the ancient distinction in personae (persons), res (goods), actiones (enforcement of rights) is still the basis of the present Civil Code.