AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

More specifically, the module will analyze the figure of Augustus, the foundation of the Principate, and the new political institutions. It will then examine the mechanisms of imperial succession and the major reforms implemented by successive emperors. Criminal repression will be examined with regard both to individual offences and to the procedural system. Particular attention will be devoted to the principate of Trajan, the grant of citizenship through the Constitutio Antoniniana, the reforms of Diocletian, and Justinian’s compilation. The provincial administrative system and the various legal statuses of provincial cities will also be examined.

Through individual study, attendance, and active participation in the learning activities, students will be able to:

• Understand the main social, cultural, religious, and economic dynamics that led to the emergence and consolidation of new forms of government;
• Read and critically interpret the sources for reconstructing Roman history with historical awareness;
• Identify the rationale and critical foundations of historical scholarship;
• Recognize the importance of historical contextualization in the analysis of political phenomena;
• Appreciate the identity-shaping value of historical knowledge;
• Express themselves using appropriate legal and technical terminology.

TEACHING METHODS

The module consists of in-person lectures, for a total of 18 hours (equivalent to 3 ECTS credits). Throughout the course, the main features of the Roman imperial legal system will be examined and explored in depth.

Selected Latin and Greek texts – with Italian translations – will also be analyzed and discussed; these materials will be provided during the lectures and made available on Aulaweb.

Furthermore, scholars and experts in the field will be invited to deliver lectures and seminars on specific topics of particular relevance.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The institutional reforms of Augustus. The res gestae divi Augusti. The legal-constitutional nature of the Augustan principate and its development. Senatorial and imperial provinces. Provincial cities and local autonomies. The imperial succession. The principate of Claudius. Trajan and the Institutum Traiani. Hadrian and the codification of the edict. Caracalla and the granting of citizenship. Diocletian and the edictum de pretiis. Constantine, Theodosius and the relations between the empire and Christianity.

The lex Iulia iudiciorum publicorum. The development of the criminal repression and new criminal offences. The criminal repression in the provinces.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Syllabus for attending students:
The study is based on lecture notes, supplemented by materials provided on Aulaweb, and the following sections of the textbook:
A. Schiavone (ed.), Storia giuridica di Roma, Giappichelli, Torino 2024, pp. 265-339; pp. 413-514; 544-571.

Syllabus for non-attending students:
G. Grosso, Lezioni di Storia del diritto romano, fifth revised and expanded edition, Giappichelli, Torino 2008 (anastatic reprint), pp. 349-511.
 

Alternatively, students may agree on an individual examination syllabus tailored to their specific academic interests.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First term, September 2025

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The final examination is oral and applies to both attending and non-attending students. It consists of four to five open-ended questions.
Attending students are expected to demonstrate a solid understanding of the general framework of the course and to provide a critical reading of the texts analyzed during the lectures.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral examination is intended to assess the student’s comprehension of fundamental concepts and their ability to place constitutional forms and principles of public law within their historical and social contexts. Through general questions – and, for attending students, the discussion of texts studied in class – the examination will assess the student’s ability to:

• Identify and define political and constitutional principles using appropriate technical terminology;
• Understand the historical development of Roman public law in its social and political dimensions;
• Contextualize constitutional issues in their historical framework;
• Interpret and critically assess the main sources with historical awareness and insight.

Students with certified disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSA) may request reasonable accommodations during examinations (e.g., additional time, adjustments to oral/written formats) by following the procedures outlined in the guidelines available here (p. 5): https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Funige.it%2Fsites%2Funige.it%2Ffiles%2F2024-05%2FLinee%2520guida%2520per%2520la%2520richiesta%2520di%2520servizi%252C%2520di%2520strumenti%2520compensativi%2520e_o%2520di%2520misure%2520dispensative%2520e%2520di%2520ausili%2520specifici%2520Maggio%25202024.pdf&e=ed7a584b&h=c6c72b42&f=y&p=y&l=1. For further assistance, students may contact the designated professor: Isa.Fanlo@unige.it.