Lost Roman law code discovered in London [ Codex Gregorianus ]

Eurekalert ^ | Tuesday, January 26, 2010 | Dave Weston, University College London

[SunkenCiv]

Part of an ancient Roman law code previously thought to have been lost forever has been discovered by researchers at UCL's Department of History. Simon Corcoran and Benet Salway made the breakthrough after piecing together 17 fragments of previously incomprehensible parchment. The fragments were being studied at UCL as part of the Arts & Humanities Research Council-funded "Projet Volterra" -- a ten year study of Roman law in its full social, legal and political context.

Corcoran and Salway found that the text belonged to the Codex Gregorianus, or Gregorian Code, a collection of laws by emperors from Hadrian (AD 117-138) to Diocletian (AD 284-305), which was published circa AD 300. Little was known about the codex's original form and there were, until now, no known copies in existence.

"The fragments bear the text of a Latin work in a clear calligraphic script, perhaps dating as far back as AD 400," said Dr Salway.

[SunkenCiv]

related story at Science News linked in the image:

This is one of fragments of parchment from the Gregorian Code. (Credit: UCL)

[SunkenCiv]

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[mrreaganaut]

CARTHAGO DELENDA EST

[muawiyah]

Every now and then we'll have some discussion on FR that involves the DARK AGES (which begn in AD340 or thereabouts) and along comes a Freeper assuring us that there was no "dark age" because, lo and behold, someone somewhere in Italy wrote a letter to the bishop saying thus and so.

Then we have this ~ a remnant of a remnant of a remaining lawcode in use in Brittain at the time it was copied.

This and a few hundred other parchments are left from the pre-Dark Ages period in Western Europe because, alas, darned near everything else was burned to keep warm!

[muawiyah]

Every now and then we'll have some discussion on FR that involves the DARK AGES (which begn in AD535 or thereabouts) and along comes a Freeper assuring us that there was no "dark age" because, lo and behold, someone somewhere in Italy wrote a letter to the bishop saying thus and so.

Then we have this ~ a remnant of a remnant of a remaining lawcode in use in Brittain at the time it was copied.

This and a few hundred other parchments are left from the pre-Dark Ages period in Western Europe because, alas, darned near everything else was burned to keep warm!

Notice date of 535, not 3 something. Didn't catch that. Will do better in the future.

[Pelham]

Them’s fightin’ words.

Hannibal

[PzLdr]

Let’s Fight!

Scipio Africanus

[Grizzled Bear]

CARTHAGO DELENDA EST

Hold on, let me get my decoder ring.

REMEMBERTODRINKYOUROVALTINE...

[James C. Bennett]

This and a few hundred other parchments are left from the pre-Dark Ages period in Western Europe because, alas, darned near everything else was burned to keep warm!

"What havoc has been made of books through every century of the Christian era? Where are fifty gospels condemned as spurious by the bull of Pope Gelasius? Where are forty wagon-loads of Hebrew manuscripts burned in France, by order of another pope, because of suspected heresy? Remember the Index Expurgato-rius, the Inquisition, the stake, the axe, the halter, and the guillotine; and, oh! horrible, the rack! This is as bad, if not worse, than a slow fire. Nor should the Lion's Mouth be forgotten. Have you considered that system of holy lies and pious frauds that has raged and triumphed for 1,500 years."

- John Adams, letter to John Taylor, 1814, quoted by Norman Cousins in In God We Trust: The Religious Beliefs and Ideas of the American Founding Fathers (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1958), pgs. 106-7.

[ccmay]

Come now, you two, let’s not be hasty.

-Fabius Maximus

[wildbill]

Illigitami non carborundum

[Walkingfeather]

These kind of posts should carry a one or two sentence sub headline of why these discoveries are important.

[Larry Lucido]

I got a bottle of carborundum cleaner at the auto parts store. Pour in the tank and your car will run great!

[Larry Lucido]

I’m sure Arlen Spector will be citing this fragment in support of his next senate vote.

[spyone]

Spectorus Arlenius

[Beowulf9]

ping

[Pelham]

Roman law is the basis for much of Western law.

[ApplegateRanch]

Hones scored cylinders, while also re-seating worn valves, as you drive!

FREE BONUS: it pays for itself as you drive!

With newly restored high compression, it produces exhaust sapphires, you can easily recover with the *FREE* included tail pipe sieve!

[Walkingfeather]

Er.. um yes I know that, but my point is about how to post such articles. This specific find means what, and it’s effects are what? All this history stuff is cool to read but it would be nice if there were some more specific leads up front to help you decide which ones are more prevalent to your interest.

[flaglady47]

“All this history stuff is cool to read but it would be nice if there were some more specific leads up front to help you decide which ones are more prevalent to your interest.”

Prevalent? Did you mean “pertinent”?