Law in the Crisis of Empire 379-455 AD: The Theodosian Dynasty and Its Quaestors [Hardcover]

Tony Honorï¿1/2 (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0198260784 | ISBN-13: 978-0198260783

This new book by an eminent legal scholar and author can be described in a number of ways: a work of reference; an essay in the study of style; a contribution to the prosopography of the late Roman quaestorship; and a reflection on the fall of the western (and on the survival of the eastern) Roman empire. Using an innovative method of analysis--already successfully employed in his acclaimed Emperors and Lawyers (OUP 1994)--the author examines the laws of a crucial phase of the later Roman empire (379-455 AD), a period during which the west collapsed while the east persisted. He allots the laws to their likely drafters and shows why the eastern Theodosian Code (429-438 AD), intended to restore the legal and administrative unity of the Roman empire, came too late to save the west. The book includes a Palingenesia--as stored on an accompanying floppy disk--allowing scholars to read the primary texts chronologically and judge the soundness of the arguments advanced.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`Now the second part of Honore's magnum opus on imperial legislation has also appeared.' Detlef Lieb Savigny Zeitschrift

`the culmination of over a decade's work.' R. W. Benet Salway, The Classical Review.

`another triumph for H., providing important new insights.' R.W. Benet Salway, The Classical Review.

`His contribution to the prosopography is of top quality. As an essay on the analysis of style of the quaestors who drafted the laws, Honores work is outstanding. The palingenesia (found on two disks in the back) listing all the laws of the Theodosian age certainly makes this a work of reference ... This allows scholars to study each individual law in minute detail.' C.Wade Meade, American Hist.Rev.June 2000.

`The research conducted for this work is of the highest quality ... The style of the author is very readable.' C.Wade Meade, American Hist.Rev.June 2000.

`Not only should copies be found on the bookshevles of prosopographers and legal experts, but it is useful and valuable for any scholar interested in the late Roman or early Byzantine Empire.' C.Wade Meade, American Hist.Rev.June 2000.

Although this erudite book appeals to specialists, it also contributes significantly to the understanding of late Roman society./ K. W. Harl, Tulane University, Choice, May 1999, Vol 36, no 9

About the Author

Tony Honore was Regius Professor of Civil Law, University of Oxford, 1971-88; Fellow, 1971-89, Acting Warden, 1987-89, All Souls College, Oxford. Former Delegate of the Press, eminent and well-respected author.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198260784
• ISBN-13: 978-0198260783
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,440,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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