What achievements did the Byzantine empire with Justinian become famous for? The Age of Justinian

Many generations cherish the memory of the times of the great Byzantium and the ruler Justinian as a temple of legal science and its main legislator. Naturally, all the reforms were based on the rigid foundation of the old Roman law, and Justinian's will was born and supported by the requirements of life itself - socio-economic and political relations in the state underwent fundamental changes.

From the fourth to the sixth century, time for the whole world turned out very difficult, but fateful. Byzantium moved swiftly along the path of progress, despite the persisting slave system. The civil law code, thus, became a mechanism capable of bringing the state arrangement to the next stage of the development of society - the feudal system. Here are what achievements the Byzantine empire under Justinian became famous for.

Reform of legislation

In this transition period, some Roman law institutions were acceptable, in a slightly modified form they served as faith and truth to the ruling classes of the empire. Class domination, slavery, class and social partitions, all privileges in management systems were in full accord with the interests of the upper echelon of society, and the Byzantine Empire under Justinian did not take too drastic steps to rebuild the state. Justinian declared the conservative principle of unquestioning respect for antiquity, which is infallible. That is why throughout the sixth century Byzantine legislators admired the Roman law.

Especially in the large Byzantine cities flourished trade and crafts, there was a variety of property and trade transactions. The reality required both ordering and detailed regulation of all property rights, since it was on it that the state's economy was built. And Roman law allowed to fully provide a legal basis, since this source was based on nuances concerning any plane of private property.

However, the new conditions required numerous adjustments in the existing norms of Roman law. This very difficult business began in the distant sixth century, and now we know what achievements the Byzantine empire under Justinian has become famous for. The new social order, barely conceived, demanded other legal relations among classes and estates. And all the relationships required proper legal registration.

Creation of uncontested laws

The legal reasons that formed the basis for the codification of law:

• Contradictions in legal regulations;
• Unclear legal norms;
• Laws without a system and classification;
• Outdated terminology;
• Arbitrariness of judicial officials.

Neither to part with the outdated legislation, nor to use it, despite all the legend and grandeur of the traditions of Roman law, Justinian could not. The middle, half way reform was chosen. Compromise and the only possible.

Codification of law

The beginning of the grandiose work - codification of law - is considered to be 528 year. Naturally, one man can not do such a feat. Although the Code of Civil Law is named Justinian, he worked on the creation of this child of jurisprudence, of course, not him.

The monarch was an extremely ambitious despot. He not only willingly waged wars for the restoration of the Roman Empire, internal reforms were also keenly interested and did everything to be called the greatest legislator in the world. In battles, however, did not participate. The code of laws did not work out. But it was precisely this - wars and laws - that the Byzantine Empire was famous for Justinian.

He belonged to all the plans and completely the initiative in carrying out - is this really not enough for the first person of the state? Energy, time, money - nothing was regretted by Justinian to create a new set of laws: he constantly watched, hurried the performers, always correctly assessed the situation, found the most intelligent, experienced and knowledgeable people. He showed himself to be a real Caesar, and therefore the Byzantine Empire under Justinian changed.

Performers

Justinian's legal reform would not have taken place with such triumph, had it not been for the soul of the whole enterprise - the quoror Tribonian. Exclusively educated, endowed with great talent and unsurpassed diligence, the famous lawyer Tribonian was the most important and most necessary find of Justinian. Among the ten most experienced civil servants, he began work with the Codex of Justinian. The former quoror of the palace, the priest, patriarch John, headed this commission. All ten creators-reformers were men of science, indefatigable in their work and zealous for the public cause. Especially it is necessary to note the scholar, professor of law Theophilus.

The beginning of labor

The most important of the huge number of imperial constitutions, suitable for modern use, were selected, and the earlier codes - Gregoryeva, Feodosieva and Germogenianova - were revised to select the most valuable among the constitutions that corresponded to the needs of the new time and were suitable for legal practice. The laws were amended, all obsolete was removed, contradictions and repetitions were eliminated. A little more than a year was required for learned men for the first edition of the Code of Justinian. In April of 529, it became law.

Naturally, the haste has affected. But the second edition, although it was completed quickly enough, already made it possible to understand what achievements the Byzantine empire under Justinian had become famous for. The code of Justinian in the second edition of 534 has survived to this day. It was in this form that he gained world fame.

Digest

If you translate this word from Latin, it becomes clear that the new code of laws is something collected and brought into the system. In parallel, this work was also called in Greek - Pandektami, which means "everything in itself."

In 530, already known on the first assignment, Tribonian, along with four other law professors, began to create Digestov. They were assisted by eleven lawyers from the highest imperial administration. Later, the creators of this work began to be called compilers, since they basically compiled the works of Roman lawyers. Nevertheless, the task faced them extremely difficult, with a double purpose. Not only to collect and systematize the vast legal legacy, but also to preserve the basic legal values is unshakable. Two thousand huge books, more than three million lines. Not an artistic text, of course. Sea, ocean of work!

Justinian understood the grandiose nature of the task, so he gave the commission until the end - ten years. However, after three years, Digests began to operate throughout the empire. That's what proper organization and thoughtful actions mean! Each of the lawyers from this commission was given assistants - secretaries, also very knowledgeable in jurisprudence. For certain groups of sources, all participants were divided into sections: lawyers collect and classify materials, and the commission reviews and edits Digestov's texts in their final form.

So fifty books of Digestov were created. In seven parts. In every book there are also divisions: titles and fragments. Total - 433 titles and more than 9200 fragments. Thirty-nine of the most famous Roman legislators from the first century of our era to the sixth century of ours entered the Digestas: Quintus Mucius Schevola, Alfen Var, Elly Gant, Paul, Papinian, Guy, Ulpian, Modestian and others.

In this temple of Roman jurisprudence there were, of course, gaps and inconsistencies, but for this time this work is so magnificent that it is clear what achievements the Byzantine empire under Justinian has become famous for. The short answer: "Digestes".

Reform of legal education

The creation of new laws required writing the simplest guide for studying and teaching law. Such textbooks Roman literature called Institutions. In them, as much as possible, it was necessary to identify the state of law by discarding obsolete canons and justifying the reformed legislation.

All the same Tribonian, Theophilus and Dorotheus performed in November 533 and this task Justinian. It was also a compilation, mainly from the Institutions of Guy, Florentin, Marcian, Ulpian and Paul, but with the clear influence of the Justinian Codex and Digestov.

Compiled by the Institutions of Justinian in an accessible form of lectures, divided into four books. We have not reached the originals, but the ninth-century manuscripts - so long, widely and successfully Institutions have been applied in many countries of Western Europe. In schools, the rights of the Byzantine Empire, they were studied as a benefit, but in practice they were used in the analysis of court cases, because they almost immediately became the imperial law.

What made the Byzantine Empire famous

Under Justinian activity of lawmaking did not abate. The tripartite Civil Law Code continued: the laws that appeared after 534 were called Novell. They were not combined into a single collection during the life of Justinian. This was done later. Now three such collections are known, and none of them was official.

So what made the Byzantine Empire famous under Justinian? A short answer can not be given. In legislation, such legal norms and concepts as morality theory, civil and public law, law, custom, the relationship of law, society and the individual appeared and were completed, many legal presumptions appeared that are still alive. What achievements did the Byzantine Empire become famous under Justinian? The answers are as follows:

• Evolution of the doctrine of law;
• The concept of universal law - for all mankind;
• Registered as a single property right;
• Civil law of a free person;
• The idea of a unified legal system;
• The right of Roman citizenship for released slaves;
• Privileges and restrictions of rights for servicemen;
• Legal status for the rural population;
• Restriction of slavery rights: the right to treat a person, not a thing;
• Simplification of the procedure for the release of slaves;
• Family law;
• Hereditary right;
• The principle of freedom of marriage: Romans and non-Romans, citizens and non-citizens.

In addition, Justinian closely engaged in strengthening both the military and political forces of Byzantium. Before him stood an ambitious goal - the restoration of the Roman Empire in the old borders. And he very successfully carried it out. The main threat to the empire was represented by the East, and above all by the mighty Iran. At the end of the war, although the borders between Iran and Byzantium remained on their previous frontiers, but in the sphere of Byzantium's influence were Lazik, Crimea, Arabia, Armenia, where Christianity gradually triumphed. The conquests of Justinian were conquered by the vandals of North Africa, the kingdom of the Ostrogoths in Italy was broken, the barbarians lost the vast part of Spain. Justinian managed to conquer the entire Balkan Peninsula. The territory has doubled, the borders have approached the old boundaries of the Roman Empire. All this and the famous Byzantine Empire under Justinian.