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Alaric II, Roman Law of the Visigoths 70

   https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/510

Context

The Roman Law of the Visigoths, also called the Breviary of Alaric (Breviarium Alaricanum), was a collection of earlier laws that was widely used in western Europe during the Early Middle Ages. Alaric II, leader of the Visigothic Kingdom that stretched from the Iberian Peninsula to the Loire Valley, ordered a compilation including the Theodosian Code, various novels and other codifications, and the writings of the jurists Gaius and Julius Paulus. The work was officially promulgated on February 2, 506 C.E., as copies were authenticated by referendary in Atura (modern Aire-sur-l’Adour). It was recognized as valid law for the provincial populations of Hispania and Gaul until its replacement in 654 C.E., though derivatives and epitomizations continued to influence legal thought in different regions. This passage from the original text quotes the interpretatio of Theodosian Code 2.33.1, an edict of the emperor Constantine posted at Caesarea on April 17, 325 C.E., which addresses interest paid on the lending of farm produce.

Text

Interpretatio. Quicumque fruges humidas, id est vinum et oleum, vel quodcumque annonae genus alteri commodaverit, non plus ab eo propter usuram quam tertiam partem accipiat, id est ut supra duos modios qui accepit tertium reddat. quod si conventus fuerit ille qui commodat et pro maiore usura noluerit debitum suum adiecto tertio modio a debitore recipere, etiam debitum perdat. quam rem ad solas fruges praecipimus pertinere: nam quando pecunia fuerit commodata, nisi unam tantum centesimam a creditoribus exigi non iubemus.1

Textual Note

Ed. Hänel 1849

Corrigenda Note

Minor corrections (spelling, punctuation)

Translation

Interpretation: If any person should lend to another liquid produce, that is, wine and oil, or any kind of farm produce whatsoever, he shall receive no more than a third part from the debtor as interest; that is, the person who received the loan shall return a third measure in addition to the two measures borrowed. But if the lender should be formally notified and, for the sake of a greater amount of interest, should be unwilling to accept from the debtor the payment of the debt, along with the additional third measure, he shall lose even the debt. We command this law to pertain only to farm produce; for when money has been lent, We order that not more than one percent shall be exacted by creditors.2

Translation Note

Trans. Pharr et al. 1952

Works Cited

  • 1 Alaric II, Lex Romana Visigothorum, ed. Gustav Friedrich Hänel (Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1849), p: 70.Link to Zotero Bibliographic Record
  • 2 Theodosius II, The Theodosian Code and Novels: And the Sirmondian Constitutions, ed. Clyde Pharr et al., Corpus of Roman Law (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1952), p: 61.Link to Zotero Bibliographic Record
About This Text

 

How to Cite This Entry

Joseph L. Rife, “Alaric II, Roman Law of the Visigoths 70,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/510.

Bibliography:

Joseph L. Rife, “Alaric II, Roman Law of the Visigoths 70.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/510.

About this Entry

Entry Title: Alaric II, Roman Law of the Visigoths 70

Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:

  • Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
  • Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
  • David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “Alaric II, Roman Law of the Visigoths 70”
  • Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Alaric II, Roman Law of the Visigoths 70”

Additional Credit:

  • Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
  • TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
  • Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
  • Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
  • Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
  • Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife
  • Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
  • TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
  • Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
  • Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
  • Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
  • Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife
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