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Edict of Theodoric

Roman and Late Antique Law

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The Edictum Theodorici, known in English as the Edict of Theodoric, is a set of laws dating from the fifth or sixth century, one of the codes issued by Germanic kings to settle disputes between Romans and Germans within their kingdoms. It is composed of a preface, 155 chapters and a conclusion, and its provisions are drawn mostly from earlier Roman law, including the Codex Gregorianus, the Codex Hermogenianus and the Codex Theodosianus. The edict is largely a restatement and reworking of Roman legislation, and its chief interest lies in treating Romans and Germanic peoples equally under one territorial law rather than the personal law common to most Romano-barbarian codes, with an explicit exception made only for Jews, who kept their own judges. Its authorship is contested: the text has traditionally been attributed to the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great since its first printing in 1579, a case supported by a chapter with specific dispositions regarding Rome, but since 1953 the attribution has been disputed, with some scholars assigning it instead to the Visigothic king Theodoric II and others to Odoacer.

Facts
Disputed
Era
5th or 6th century CE (exact year disputed) 1
Dated to the 5th or 6th century CE; the exact year and even the issuing kingdom are disputed among scholars, with the traditional Ostrogothic attribution contested since 1953.
Promulgated By
Traditionally attributed to Theodoric the Great, Ostrogothic king (contested) 1
Traditionally attributed to Theodoric the Great, Ostrogothic king; the attribution has been contested since 1953, with some scholars proposing Theodoric II of the Visigoths or Odoacer instead.
Sources
1. Edict of Theodoric (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
Quote, Lead section
The Edictum Theodorici is a set of laws that date from the 5th or 6th-century and that is one of the codes emanated by Germanic kings to settle issues between Romans and Germans in their kingdoms.
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