Page "Corpus Juris Civilis" Paragraph 14

The Byzantine Empire ( East Roman Empire ) was the successor of the Roman Empire and continued to practice Roman Law as collected in the Corpus Juris Civilis.

This law was modified to be adequate for the new social relationships in the Middle ages.

Thus the Byzantine law was created.

New legal codes, based on Corpus Juris Civilis, were enacted.

The most known are: Ecloga ( 740 )— enacted by emperor Leo the Isaurian, Proheiron ( c. 879 )— enacted by emperor Basil the Macedonian and Basilika ( late 9th century )— started by Basil the Macedonian and finished by his son Leo the Wise.

The last one was a complete adaptation of Justinian's codification.

At 60 volumes it proved to be difficult for judges and lawyers to use.

There was need for a short and handy version.

It was finally made by Constantine Harmenopoulos, a judge from Thesaloniki, in 1345.

He made a short version of Basilika in six books, called Hexabiblos.

Serbian state, law and culture was built on the foundations of Rome and Byzantium.

Therefore, the most important Serbian legal codes: Zakonopravilo ( 1219 ) and Dušan's Code ( 1349 and 1354 ), transplanted Roman-Byzantine Law included in Corpus Juris Civilis, Prohiron and Basilika.

These Serbian codes were practised until the Serbian Despotate fell to the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1459.

After the liberation from the Turks in the Serbian Revolution, Serbs remained to practise Roman Law by enacting Serbian civil code in 1844.

It was a short version of Austrian civil code ( called Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch ), which was made on the basis of Corpus Juris Civilis.