Edictum Theodorici

The Edictum Theodorici is a compilation of legal provisions, consisting of a preface, 155 chapters and a conclusion, dating from the 5th or 6th century, one of several codes issued by Germanic rulers to settle disputes between Romans and Germans living within their kingdoms. It draws heavily on classical Roman legal sources, among them the Codex Gregorianus, the Codex Hermogenianus and the Codex Theodosianus, largely restating and reworking existing Roman law rather than introducing new provisions of its own. Unlike similar Romano-barbarian codes, which typically applied personal jurisdiction based on ethnicity, the Edictum Theodorici applied on a territorial basis, treating Romans and so-called barbarians as legal equals, with the notable exception that Jews were to be judged by their own judges. It has traditionally been attributed to the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great since its first printed edition in 1579, though scholars have also proposed the Visigothic ruler Theodoric II and the Germanic leader Odoacer as its author, and the attribution remains contested.