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PREFACE

The death of the author of this Commentary and Translation has taken from us one who in the intervals allowed him by his official duties gave himself with single-minded devotion to the acquisition and furtherance of knowledge. ‘Omnium, quos cognovi, doctissimus’ were the words in which Mr. Poste’s great erudition was commemorated by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, the distinguished head of the distinguished College of which Mr. Poste was almost the senior Fellow; and certainly no one can read this Commentary without being impressed by the writer’s philosophic spirit and extensive learning. It is especially remarkable that a scholar, who was never engaged in the teaching or practice of law, should have produced a legal textbook, which perhaps more than any other makes intelligible to English students the teaching of the great German masters of Roman jurisprudence and at the same time never fails to be interesting by reason of its own force and individuality.

In re-editing this well-known work, at the request of Mr. Poste’s executors and of the Delegates of the Clarendon Press, my endeavour has been to preserve as far as possible the character which Mr. Poste himself gave it, while making such alterations as seemed to be required at the present time. As Mr. Poste never revised his Translation and Commentary with any completeness since they were first published, their revision for this edition has been a more considerable undertaking than would otherwise have been the case. It should be noticed that the part of the Commentary relating to analytic jurisprudence has been much curtailed in the present edition. This has been done by the advice of persons engaged in the teaching of Roman law at Oxford, who are of opinion that the insertion of so much matter bearing on the general theory of law has rendered the Commentary unnecessarily difficult to students and that the subject is one better left to independent treatises. The omission of the Preliminary Definitions on this account has made it possible to introduce into the book an Historical Introduction to Gaius, which has been written by Dr. Greenidge, who is well known for his writings on Roman constitutional history, and for his special Treatises on ‘Infamia’ and on ‘The Legal Procedure of Cicero’s Time.’

The text of Gaius adopted is that of the last edition of Krueger and Studemund, which its German proprietors have again most kindly allowed us to use. In this text the numerous lacunae are only filled up, where from passages in the Institutes or other sources the missing words may be inferred, at least with a very high degree of probability. Some other conjectural readings, more or less followed in the Translation, will be found in the Appendix. It is to be hoped that in some future edition of this book a Critical Apparatus may be supplied by a competent hand. In the meantime the student should more especially refer to the notes on the text appended to Krueger’s and Studemund’s Gaius. He may also consult with advantage the notes to the late Professor Muirhead’s edition of Gaius, though the valuable textual criticism to be found there requires revision in the light of more recent research.

In conclusion, I have to express my obligations to my old friend and pupil Mr. Ledlie, the translator of Sohm’s Institutes, for many helpful suggestions. Another old friend and pupil, Dr. Potts, has also rendered me valuable aid, especially in the preparation of the Index and of the Chronological Table. My friends Dr. Schuster and Dr. Greenidge have given me useful information on several points about which I have consulted them.

E. A. WHITTUCK.

Claverton Manor, Bath,

October 17, 1904

EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS

Inst. Institutes of Justinian.

Dig. Digest or Pandects of Justinian.

Cod. Code of Justinian.

Nov. Novellae Constitutiones or Novels of Justinian.

The meaning of the numbers that follow these abbreviations will be obvious to any one who opens a volume of the Corpus Juris.

Pr. stands for principio, meaning, in the first paragraph of a title of the Institutes, or of a fragment of a title of the Digest, or of a ‘lex’ of a title of the Code.

The Commentaries of Gaius are referred to by numbers indicating the book and the paragraph: e.g. 2 § 5, indicates the 5th paragraph of Book 2. When the reference is to another paragraph in the same book, the book is omitted.

When Ulpian or Paulus are quoted, the works referred to are the Ulpiani Fragmenta or Excerpta ex Ulpiani Libro singulari Regularum, and the Sententiae Receptae of Paulus.

Fragm. Vat. Fragmenta Juris Romani Vaticana.

(For the Jus antejustinianum see Huschke’s or Krueger’s Collections of ante-Justinian legal writings.)

When Savigny, Vangerow, Keller, Bethmann-Hollweg, Ihering, Kuntze, Windscheid, Dernburg, Lenel, Sohm, Muirhead, and Roby are simply cited, the references are to Savigny, System des heutigen römischen Rechts; Vangerow, Lehrbuch der Pandekten; Keller, Der römische Civilprocess und die Actionen; Bethmann-Hollweg, Der römische Civilprozess; Ihering, Geist des römischen Rechts auf den verschiedenen Stufen seiner Entwicklung; Kuntze, Institutionen und Geschichte des römischen Rechts; Windscheid, Lehrbuch des Pandekten-Rechts; Dernburg, Pandekten; Lenel, Das Edictum Perpetuum, ein Versuch zu dessen Wiederherstellung; Sohm, The Institutes—A Text-book of the History and System of Roman Private Law (translated by J. C. Ledlie), 2nd ed.; Muirhead, Historical Introduction to the Private Law of Rome, 2nd ed.; Roby, Roman Private Law in the times of Cicero and of the Antonines.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE
B. C 753		Traditional Date of Foundation of Rome.
578-535		Servius Tullius. Division into thirty Tribes. Military Organization of Centuries. Institution of Census.
509		Office of Consuls instituted.
494		First Secession of Plebs. Institution of Tribuni Plebis.
451-448		Law of the Twelve Tables.
449		Second Secession of Plebs—Leges Valeriae Horatiae.
445		Lex Canuleia, legalizing marriages between Patricians and Plebeians.
443		Censorship established.
366		Office of Praetor established.
326		Lex Poetelia about this time.
304		Cnaeus Flavius publishes forms of actions and calendar of dies fasti and nefasti.
300		Lex Ogulnia, admitting Plebeians to College of Pontiffs.
287		Last Secession of Plebs—
		Lex Hortensia.
		Lex Aquilia.
280		Tiberius Coruncanius (subsequently first Plebeian Pontifex Maximus), Consul.
242		First appointment of a Praetor Peregrinus about this time.
204		Lex Cincia.
198		Sextus Aelius Paetus (earliest commentator on the Twelve Tables), Consul.
170-150		Lex Aebutia probably enacted within this period.
169		Lex Voconia.
105		P. Rutilius Rufus, Consul.
95		Q. Mucius Scaevola (pontifex), Consul.
92		Sulla, Dictator.
89		End of Social War.
		Leges Corneliae.
66		C. Aquilius Gallus, Praetor.
63		Cicero, Consul.
59		Julius Caesar, Consul.
51		Servius Sulpicius, Consul.
49		Accession of Julius Caesar to supreme power.
		Lex Rubria.
45		Lex Julia municipalis.
44		Assassination of Caesar.
40		Lex Falcidia.
27		Caesar Octavianus receives title of Augustus (first Constitution of the Principate).
23		Second and final Constitution of the Principate.
27-14		A D. Principate of Augustus.
		M. Antistius Labeo.
		C. Ateius Capito.
18		Lex Julia de adulteriis et de maritandis ordinibus.
A.D.
4		Lex Aelia Sentia.
6		Lex Julia de vicesima hereditatium
9		Lex Papia Poppaea.
14-37		Tiberius, Emp.
		Masurius Sabinus.
		Proculus.
19		Date to which Lex Junia (Norbana) is generally ascribed.
30		C. Cassius Longinus, Consul.
37-41		Caligula, Emp.
41-54		Claudius, Emp.—
		Lex Claudia.
		S. C. Claudianum.
46		S. C. Vellaeanum or Velleianum.
54-68		Nero, Emp.—
		S. C. Neronianum.
62		S. C. Trebellianum.
68		Galba, Emp.
		Vitellius, Emp.
68-79		Vespasian, Emp.
70		S. C. Pegasianum.
79-81		Titus, Emp
81-96		Domitian, Emp.
96-98		Nerva, Emp.
98-117		Trajan, Emp.
117-138		Hadrian, Emp.
		Edictum Perpetuum of Salvius Julianus.
138-161		Antoninus Pius, Emp.
		First and part of second book of Gaius probably written at this time.
161-180		M. Aurelius Antoninus, Emp.
		Institutes of Gaius probably completed under this Emperor.
178		S. C. Orfitianum.
180-193		Commodus, Emp.
193		Pertinax and Julianus successively Emperors.
193-211		Septimius Severus, Emp.
204		Papinian, praefectus praetorio.
211-217		Caracalla, Emp —
		Papinian killed.
		Edict of Caracalla—extending citizenship.
217-218		Macrinus, Emp.
218-222		Elagabalus, Emp.
222-235		Severus Alexander, Emp.
222		Ulpian, praefectus praetorio.
228		Ulpian killed.
235-238		Maximinus, Emp.
238		Gordianus I and II, Emp.
238-244		Gordianus III, Emp.
244-249		Philippus, Emp.
249-251		Decius, Emp.
251-253		Trebonianus Gallus, Emp.
253		Aemilianus, Emp.
253-260		Valerian and Gallienus, joint Emperors.
260-268		Gallienus, sole Emperor.
268-270		Claudius II, Emp.
270-275		Aurelian, Emp.
275-276		Tacitus, Emp.
276		Florianus, Emp.
276-282		Probus, Emp.
282-283		Carus, Emp.
283-284		Carinus and Numerianus, joint Emperors.
285		Carinus, sole Emperor.
285-286		Diocletian, sole Emperor.
286-305		Diocletian and Maximian, joint Emperors
305-306		Constantius I and Galerius, joint Emperors.
306		Constantius I, Galerius, and Constantine the Great, joint Emperors.
307-311		Galerius, Constantine the Great, and Licinius, joint Emperors.
311-323		Constantine the Great and Licinius, joint Emperors.
323-337		Constantine the Great, sole Emperor.
330		Constantinople, the seat of government.
337-340		Constantius II, Constantine II, and Constans I, joint Emperors.
340-350		Constantius II and Constans I, joint Emperors.
350-361		Constantius II, sole Emperor.
361-363		Julian, Emperor.
363-364		Jovian, Emperor.
364		Valentinian I and Valens, joint Emperors. They divided the Empire into the Western and Eastern.
WESTERN EMPIRE.
A. D.
364-367	Valentinian I, Emp.
367-375	Valentinian I and Gratian, Emp.
375-383	Gratian and Valentinian II, Emp.
383-392	Valentinian II, sole Emperor.
392-395	Theodosius I, Emperor of East and West.
395-423	Honorius, Emp.
423-425	Theodosius II, Emperor of East and West.
425-455	Valentinian III, Emp.
426	Law of Citations.
439	Codex Theodosianus.
455	Petronius Maximus, Emp.
	Sack of Rome by the Vandals.
455-456	Avitus, Emp.
457-461	Majorian, Emp.
461-467	Government practically in hands of the barbarian Ricimer.
467-472	Anthemius, Emp.
472	Olybrius, Emp.
472-475	Julius Nepos, Emp.
475-476	Romulus Augustulus, Emp.
	End of Western Empire.
500	Lex Romana Burgundionum.
506	Lex Romana Visigothorum, or Breviarium Alarici, containing Epitome of Gaius.
511-515	Edictum Theodorici (Lex Romana Ostrogothorum).

EASTERN EMPIRE.
A. D.
364-378	Valens, Emp.
378-392	Theodosius I, Emp.
395-408	Arcadius, Emp.
408-423	Theodosius II, Emp.
425-450	Theodosius II, Emp.
450-457	Marcian, Emp.
457-474	Leo I, Emp.
474	Leo II, Emp.
474-491	Zeno, Emp.
491-518	Anastasius I, Emp.
518-527	Justin, Emp.
527-565	Justinian, Emp.
	Tribonian.
528	Code ordered.
529	Code published.
530	Digest ordered.
533	Digest and Institutes published.
534	Revised edition of Code published.

CONTENTS:

PREFACE

EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE