Breviary of Alaric
Breviary of Alaric
(ă`lərĭk), Visigothic code of Roman law issued (506) by King Alaric II for his Roman subjects in Spain and S Gaul. It is also known as the Lex Romana Visigothorum. Based largely on the Theodosian CodeTheodosian Code, Latin Codex Theodosianus, Roman legal code, issued in 438 by Theodosius II, emperor of the East. It was at once adopted by Valentinian III, emperor of the West.
..... Click the link for more information. and accompanied by valuable commentaries, it was a compilation of contemporary Roman law for the Roman element of the population; the Germanic element was under the authority of the earlier code issued by EuricEuric
, d. c.484, king of the Visigoths (466–c.484), brother and successor of Theodoric II. He made Toulouse his capital and under him the Visigothic kingdom reached its greatest extent, including the Iberian peninsula and southern Gaul.
..... Click the link for more information. . Although both codes were later superseded by the Forum judicum of King RecceswinthRecceswinth
, d. 672, Visigothic king of Spain (653–72). He was the son of Chindaswinth, who in 649 admitted him to joint rule. Recceswinth succeeded to the throne without election, thereby violating the Visigothic tradition enjoining election of the king by the nobility.
..... Click the link for more information. , the Breviary remained influential in preserving Roman law in the S and E of France. See Germanic lawsGermanic laws,
customary law codes of the Germans before their contact with the Romans. They are unknown to us except through casual references of ancient authors and inferences from the codes compiled after the tribes had invaded the Roman Empire.
..... Click the link for more information. .