Ancient Codes

Ancient Codes

Code: Ancient Codes

Some historians include among early codes the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law of the Old Testament. The ancient Greek city-states began codifying laws in the 7th century bc. The Laws of Gortyn, named after the ancient town of Gortyna, Crete (Kríti), are regarded as the closest to a systematic statement of ancient Hellenic law. The Twelve Tables of ancient Roman law are often cited as a classic example of an early code. Other compilations of law include the Hindu Code of Manu, believed to date from about ad400, and the code of the Chinese Tang (T’ang) dynasty, issued in ad630.

Of all the codes of antiquity, that of the Roman emperor Justinian I, entitled the Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil Law) and known as the Codex Justinianus, Justinian Code, or simply The Code, most closely resembles the codes of later times. It was in part a compilation and consolidation of statute law, but it lacked the systematic arrangement and the concentration on a single branch of the law, such as criminal or civil law, that are essential features of later codes. (1)

In this Section: Code, Ancient Codes, Code Development, British codes, U.S. codes, International Codes, Code Napoleon and Code of Hammurabi (including Code of Hammurabi Composition and Code of Hammurabi Nature).

History of Codification

“In the history of a civil law system the adoption of a civil code is an event second to none in importance. The effects are profound, since the code mark a new beginning . . . Just as in precodified civil law systems the existence of the Corpus juris naturally dominated the shaping of private law, so that role is now played by the civil code. Some of the effects of these civil codes are more or less universal and seem well-nigh inevitable, although great differences in substance and approach exist between individual civil law systems.” (2)

Resources

Notes and References

  1. Encarta Online Encyclopedia
  2. Alan Watson, The Making of the Civil Law (1981) pp. 131.

See Also

  • International Codes
  • Code Development
  • Code
  • Code Of Hammurabi
  • Code Napoleon
  • Code Of Hammurabi Nature
  • Code Of Hammurabi Composition
  • United States Style Codes
  • Historical Development of Civil Law
  • Legal Code
  • Civil Law History
  • Torture in Ancient Greece and Rome
  • Civil Code

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