Università Roma Tre

The course analyzes the historical evolution of Roman Private Law from its origins to the Justinian age. The Roman Private Law’s main topics are:
1- Sources of Roman Law (14 h);
2- Facts, acts and legal acts (6 h);
3- Civil procedure (18 h);
4- Individuals and family (6 h);
5- Obligations and contract law (18 h);
6- Ownership, possession, other rights in rem (8 h);
7- Donations (2 h);
8- Inheritance law (8 h).

The main purpose of this course is to determine how and how far Roman law and other legal systems provided a framework, which influenced, and perhaps determined, economic development, social change and political evolution. Strictly related to this, the course addresses whether that development, change and evolution modified the content and procedures of Roman law and other ancient legal systems. Ultimately, how the use of legal evidence may lead to a better understanding of ancient societies, and vice versa.

The course material will be uploaded on the Uniroma Tre e-learning platform.
For those interested in supplementary teaching activities, S. GALEOTTI, De Chirico e Lucrezia Romana, Pisa, 2023.

This course has to provide the basic knowledge of Roman private law and civil procedure, with coverage of all key topics, including the Roman systems of the sources of law and the role of the jurists.
The study of Roman law is always connected on the one side to the broader social, political and economic Roman context, on the other side to modern legal systems.
The topics are:
General traits of the different ages of Roman law.
Sources of Roman law.
Legal theory and history of law.
Civil procedure.
Law of persons and family.
Law of property and possession.
Law of obligations.
Law of succession.
The Roman jurists and their methods.

- G. PUGLIESE –F. SITZIA-L. VACCA, MANUALE DI ISTITUZIONI DI DIRITTO ROMANO, GIAPPICHELLI, TORINO 2012.
-LE ISTITUZIONI DI GAIO. TRADUZIONE ITALIANA a cura di M. Balzarini, Giappichelli, TORINO, 2000


FOR THE ATTENDING STUDENTS:
- G. PUGLIESE –F.SITZIA-L. VACCA, MANUALE DI ISTITUZIONI DI DIRITTO ROMANO, GIAPPICHELLI, TORINO 2012, WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE PARAGRAPHS OF PARTE III NN. 228 TO 235; 256 TO 267; 269 TO 270.3; 272; 287 TO 295; 297-298; 300 TO 310.
-LE ISTITUZIONI DI GAIO. TRADUZIONE ITALIANA a cura di M. Balzarini, Giappichelli, TORINO, 2000

The course analyzes the historical evolution of Roman Private Law from its origins to the Justinian age. The Roman Private Law’s main topics are:
1- Sources of Roman Law (14 h);
2- Facts, acts and legal acts (6 h);
3- Civil procedure (18 h);
4- Individuals and family (6 h);
5- Obligations and contract law (18 h);
6- Ownership, possession, other rights in rem (8 h);
7- Donations (2 h);
8- Inheritance law (8 h).

The main purpose of this course is to determine how and how far Roman law and other legal systems provided a framework, which influenced, and perhaps determined, economic development, social change and political evolution. Strictly related to this, the course addresses whether that development, change and evolution modified the content and procedures of Roman law and other ancient legal systems. Ultimately, how the use of legal evidence may lead to a better understanding of ancient societies, and vice versa.

The study of:

M. MARRONE, Istituzioni di diritto romano, Palermo, 2006 (ultima ristampa 2021)

Alternatively, the following textbooks may be used (more precise directions will be provided by the Lecturer at the beginning of the course):

A. BURDESE, Manuale di diritto privato romano (4a ed.), Torino, 2006

V. MANNINO, Introduzione alla storia del diritto privato dei Romani (3a ed.), Torino, 2018

G. PUGLIESE - F. SITZIA - L. VACCA, Istituzioni di diritto romano, Torino, 2012

A. SCHIAVONE (a cura di), Storia giuridica di Roma, Torino, 2024



Additional reference texts, according to the indications gradually provided in class by the Lecturer:

Le Istituzioni di Gaio. Traduzione italiana, a cura di M. Balzarini, Torino, 1998.

In addition, some guided readings from: D. JOHNSTON, Roman Law in Context, Cambridge, 2004; The Oxford Handbook of Roman Law and Society, ed. by P.J. Du Plessis, C. Ando, K. Tuori, Oxford, 2016; W.W. BUCKLAND, A Text-Book of Roman Law from Augustus to Justinian, 3 ed. revised by P. Stein, Cambridge, 2007.