Peter Riedlberger: Prolegomena zu den spätantiken Konstitutionen

Nebst einer Analyse der erbrechtlichen und verwandten Sanktionen gegen Heterodoxe.

Umschlagfoto
German
2020
880 p.
Cloth-bound
ISBN 978-3-7728-2886-7
Available
Single price:
€ 148.–
eISBN 9783772833274
€ 148.–

Scholars using the Theodosian Code inevitably make assumptions: how much was changed during the redaction? Is it reasonable to assume that, for a given subject, most of the relevant constitutions can be found there? According to which criteria did the redactors select laws to excerpt? Were laws valid exclusively in the pars imperii of the issuing emperor? Or, actually, only within the jurisdiction of the receiver? Riedlberger offers a novel, comprehensive and consistent vision of late-antique law-making, which is then checked against a sample: the unusual penalties regarding bequeathing and inheriting. Thus, the claimed principles can prove their validity; while conversely, discussing CTh. texts without defining one’s viewpoint to the fundamental questions easily leads to misconceptions.

Reviews

Lorena Atzeri, IVRIS ANTIQVI HISTORIA 15/2023

Nel complesso, il libro di R. è da considerarsi senz’altro un’opera che deve figurare nella biblioteca di ogni studioso del diritto tardoantico e della storia religiosa tardoantica in genere, il quale non può sottrarsi al confronto con esso. È facile prevedere che molti dei risultati ivi raggiunti entreranno a far parte della discussione tra gli esperti.

Lorena Atzeri,
IVRIS ANTIQVI HISTORIA 15/2023
Historische Zeitschrift, Band 315, 2022

»Wer konkrete Rechtsinstitute durch die oft vernachlässigte Zeit zwischen Diokletian und Justinian verfolgt, kommt an Riedlberger nicht vorbei.«

Historische Zeitschrift, Band 315, 2022
Robert M. Frakes, Scripta Classica

»R.'s writing is clear and should be accessible to foreign scholars with a reading knowledge of German [...] His knowledge of Latin is strong, and he has engaged deeply in late Roman law (and the scholarly literature). [...] There is much that is useful and provocative within this large volume, and I enjoyed reading it and feel it should be acquired by major university research libraries.«

Robert M. Frakes,
Scripta Classica
Michał Stachura, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

»Peter Riedlberger’s monograph is surely a significant publication, ground-breaking at least in the sense that no future discussion concerning late antique penal legislation in religious matters will be possible without a serious consideration of its arguments and conclusions, including the numerous instances of critical evaluation of the current communis opinio.«

Michał Stachura,
Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Philippe Blaudeau, sehepunkte 22 (2022)

»Sous un titre qui fait référence à la préface monumentale que Th. Mommsen donna à l’édition du Codex Theodosianus, P. Riedlberger (Université de Bamberg) propose dans ses propres prolegomena une réflexion riche et ordonnée, appelée à marquer une étape significative des études consacrées à l’histoire du droit tardo-antique.«

Philippe Blaudeau,
sehepunkte 22 (2022)
Paul-Hubert Poirier, Laval théologique et philosophique (Volume 78, numéro 1, février 2022)

»Outre l’analyse d’une trentaine de « fragments » du Code théodosien, l’ouvrage de Riedlberger est une mine d’informations sur le vocabulaire juridique ou religieux de l’Antiquité tardive (par exemple, sur le terme « apostat », p. 686-692). L’historien des religions aussi bien que le spécialiste du droit romain y trouveront leur compte. L’index des matières et des textes cités permettront de tirer le meilleur parti de ce riche instrument de travail.«

Paul-Hubert Poirier,
Laval théologique et philosophique (Volume 78, numéro 1, février 2022)
Th. Rüfner, IVRA - Rivista Internationale di Diritto Romano e Antico

»Materiell enthält das Buch zwei Monographien, die beide nach Umfang und Gehalt auch als Habilitationsschriften durchgehen könnten [...] Für künftige Arbeiten zum Theodosianus wird das Werk den selbstverständlichen Ausgangspunkt bilden. [...] Die Arbeit ist in ihren beiden [...] Teilen ab sofort ein unentbehrliches Standardwerk zur spätantiken Gesetzgebung im Allgemeinen und zum Umgang der Kaiser mit religiösen Dissidenten im Besonderen.«

Th. Rüfner,
IVRA - Rivista Internationale di Diritto Romano e Antico
Ulrike Babusiaux, Rechtsgeschichte/Legal History 30 (2022)

»Selbst wenn man nicht in allem den emphatischen Aufrufen von R. zur Abkehr von der bisherigen Lehre folgen wird, machen der Gedankenreichtum, die konsequente Quellennähe und die intellektuelle Eigenständigkeit der Darstellung das Werk zu einer in jeder Hinsicht anregenden und überaus gewinnbringenden Lektüre.«

Ulrike Babusiaux,
Rechtsgeschichte/Legal History 30 (2022)
Mattijs Wibier, Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte

»In sum, R. has produced a valuable contribution to the study of imperial constitutions, one that cannot be ignored by anyone working with the CTh. The author deserves praise for his willingness to produce this piece of academic slow food, on which he spent 10 years, in the current academic climate. Given his methodical approach, it is to be hoped that we will hear more from R. about imperial law and the CTh. in the future.«

Mattijs Wibier,
Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte
Danielle Slootjes, Roman Legal Tradition

»Overall, R.'s study is an amazing ›Fundgrube‹ for anyone interested in late antique law with a particular curiosity about imperial legal dealings with heretical groups. R. offers meticulous analyses of the laws which quite often bring out elements that scholarship so far has not realized, which is a wonderful accomplishment. Furthermore, R. is also to be praised for the extensive and valuable cross references throughout the entire book which yet again demonstrate the intricacies of late antique law, which call for our continued and perhaps in some cases renewed attention.«

Danielle Slootjes,
Roman Legal Tradition
Simona Tarozzi, Interpretatio prudentia

»[Eine] bemerkenswerte Forschungsarbeit, [die] gut strukturiert [ist] und reich an Informationen und Details, die weit über die Antike hinausgehen.«

Simona Tarozzi,
Interpretatio prudentia
Boudewijn Sirks, Tijdschrift voor Rechtsgeschiedenis

»The book is undoubtedly a welcome addition to our knowledge on legislation against heretics and apostates and a must for anybody interested in their history and how the laws treated of are embedded in it.«

Boudewijn Sirks,
Tijdschrift voor Rechtsgeschiedenis
Almudena Alba López, Gnomon

»In this authoritative study, Peter Riedlberger [...] provides us with a consistent, thoroughly documented and well-argued vision of the legislative process in Late Antiquity with regards to legislation concerning those groups that were deemed to be heterodox within the framework of Codex Theodosianus.«

Almudena Alba López,
Gnomon
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