Paul (jurist)
Encyclopedia
Julius Paulus Prudentissimus was one of the most influential and distinguished Roman jurists
. He was also a praetorian prefect
under the Roman Emperor
Alexander Severus
.
n town or from Patavium (modern Padua
Italy
). The possibility that Paulus could come from Patavium is based on a statue with an inscription found in Patavium dedicated to a Paulus.
During the reign of emperors Septimius Severus
and Caracalla
, Paulus served as a jurist. He was exiled by the emperor Elagabalus
and recalled from exile by his successor, emperor Alexander Severus
. Severus and his mother Julia Avita Mamaea
in 222, appointed Paulus among the emperor’s chief advisers and between 228-235, Paulus was the Praetorian prefect of the Praetorian Guard
. Paulus was a contemporary of the jurist Ulpian
. Paulus partly followed the career path of former Praetorian prefect Aemilius Papinianus
. Due to his cautious politic nature and opinion, the emperor Gordian III
, awarded him the honorific title of Prudentissimus.
, describes Paulus along with Ulpian and Quintus Cervidius Scaevola, as among ‘the last of the great jurists’. Paulus’ work was held in high respect.
Paulus had written 319 various legal publications. His surviving works are extremely prolific. Paulus’ works display a keen analysis of other opinions of jurists and Paulus expressed his legal views. He appears to have written a great variety on legal subjects and had a thorough knowledge of legal subjects and law.
Paulus in his works, comments on the jurists Javolenus Priscus, Quintus Cervidius Scaevola, Marcus Antistius Labeo
, Salvius Julianus
and Aemilius Papinianus
. He is cited by the jurists Macer and Herennius Modestinus
. Paulus’ writing style is condensed and sometimes obscure, however his work is just as good as the other Roman jurists. Paulus’ work has survived from excerpts, however his work needs to be carefully read to be understood.
Paulus’ was one of the five jurists whose opinions were made constitutionally authoritative in 426 by Roman Emperor
s Theodosius II
and Valentinian III
. Another legacy from Paulus is the inclusion of his writings in The Digest
which was written and put together by Byzantine
Emperor Justinian I
.
One sixth of the Corpus Juris Civilis
in the Digest consists of Paulus’ work. Paulus is the most excerpted Roman jurist in the Digest. After Paulus, Ulpian
is the second most excerpted Roman jurist in the Digest. Paulus in the Digest is referred in two passages, which he gave a contrary opinion to Alexander Severus, but Severus chose Papinianus‘ opinion.
From Paulus’ surviving works, the Sententiae and Filium have the longest fragments.
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
. He was also a praetorian prefect
Praetorian prefect
Praetorian prefect was the title of a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief aides...
under the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Alexander Severus
Alexander Severus
Severus Alexander was Roman Emperor from 222 to 235. Alexander was the last emperor of the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his cousin Elagabalus upon the latter's assassination in 222, and was ultimately assassinated himself, marking the epoch event for the Crisis of the Third Century — nearly fifty...
.
Life
Little is known of the life and family of Paulus. Paulus was a man of Greek descent, who originated from an unknown PhoeniciaPhoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n town or from Patavium (modern Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
). The possibility that Paulus could come from Patavium is based on a statue with an inscription found in Patavium dedicated to a Paulus.
During the reign of emperors Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...
and Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
, Paulus served as a jurist. He was exiled by the emperor Elagabalus
Elagabalus
Elagabalus , also known as Heliogabalus, was Roman Emperor from 218 to 222. A member of the Severan Dynasty, he was Syrian on his mother's side, the son of Julia Soaemias and Sextus Varius Marcellus. Early in his youth he served as a priest of the god El-Gabal at his hometown, Emesa...
and recalled from exile by his successor, emperor Alexander Severus
Alexander Severus
Severus Alexander was Roman Emperor from 222 to 235. Alexander was the last emperor of the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his cousin Elagabalus upon the latter's assassination in 222, and was ultimately assassinated himself, marking the epoch event for the Crisis of the Third Century — nearly fifty...
. Severus and his mother Julia Avita Mamaea
Julia Avita Mamaea
Julia Avita Mamaea was the second daughter of Julia Maesa, a powerful Roman woman of Syrian origin and Syrian noble Julius Avitus. She was a niece of empress Julia Domna and emperor Septimius Severus and sister of Julia Soaemias...
in 222, appointed Paulus among the emperor’s chief advisers and between 228-235, Paulus was the Praetorian prefect of the Praetorian Guard
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard was a force of bodyguards used by Roman Emperors. The title was already used during the Roman Republic for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC...
. Paulus was a contemporary of the jurist Ulpian
Ulpian
Gnaeus Domitius Annius Ulpianus , anglicized as Ulpian, was a Roman jurist of Tyrian ancestry.-Biography:The exact time and place of his birth are unknown, but the period of his literary activity was between AD 211 and 222...
. Paulus partly followed the career path of former Praetorian prefect Aemilius Papinianus
Aemilius Papinianus
Aemilius Papinianus , also known as Papinian, was a celebrated Roman jurist, magister libellorum and, after the death of Gaius Fulvius Plautianus in 205, praetorian prefect.-Life:...
. Due to his cautious politic nature and opinion, the emperor Gordian III
Gordian III
Gordian III , was Roman Emperor from 238 to 244. Gordian was the son of Antonia Gordiana and an unnamed Roman Senator who died before 238. Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of Emperor Gordian I and younger sister of Emperor Gordian II. Very little is known on his early life before his acclamation...
, awarded him the honorific title of Prudentissimus.
Paulus’s legal works
The Roman jurist Herennius ModestinusHerennius Modestinus
Herennius Modestinus, or simply Modestinus, was a celebrated Roman jurist, a student of Ulpian who flourished about 250.He appears to have been a native of one of the Greek-speaking provinces, probably Dalmatia...
, describes Paulus along with Ulpian and Quintus Cervidius Scaevola, as among ‘the last of the great jurists’. Paulus’ work was held in high respect.
Paulus had written 319 various legal publications. His surviving works are extremely prolific. Paulus’ works display a keen analysis of other opinions of jurists and Paulus expressed his legal views. He appears to have written a great variety on legal subjects and had a thorough knowledge of legal subjects and law.
Paulus in his works, comments on the jurists Javolenus Priscus, Quintus Cervidius Scaevola, Marcus Antistius Labeo
Marcus Antistius Labeo
Marcus Antistius Labeo was a prominent jurist of ancient Rome.He was the son of Quintus Antistius Labeo, a jurist who caused himself to be slain after the defeat of his party at Philippi...
, Salvius Julianus
Salvius Julianus
Lucius Octavius Cornelius Publius Salvius Julianus Aemilianus , generally referred to as Salvius Julianus, or Julian the Jurist, or simply Julianus [Iulianus], was a well known and respected jurist, public official, and politician who served in the Roman imperial state...
and Aemilius Papinianus
Aemilius Papinianus
Aemilius Papinianus , also known as Papinian, was a celebrated Roman jurist, magister libellorum and, after the death of Gaius Fulvius Plautianus in 205, praetorian prefect.-Life:...
. He is cited by the jurists Macer and Herennius Modestinus
Herennius Modestinus
Herennius Modestinus, or simply Modestinus, was a celebrated Roman jurist, a student of Ulpian who flourished about 250.He appears to have been a native of one of the Greek-speaking provinces, probably Dalmatia...
. Paulus’ writing style is condensed and sometimes obscure, however his work is just as good as the other Roman jurists. Paulus’ work has survived from excerpts, however his work needs to be carefully read to be understood.
Paulus’ was one of the five jurists whose opinions were made constitutionally authoritative in 426 by Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
s Theodosius II
Theodosius II
Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
and Valentinian III
Valentinian III
-Family:Valentinian was born in the western capital of Ravenna, the only son of Galla Placidia and Flavius Constantius. The former was the younger half-sister of the western emperor Honorius, and the latter was at the time Patrician and the power behind the throne....
. Another legacy from Paulus is the inclusion of his writings in The Digest
Pandects
The Digest, also known as the Pandects , is a name given to a compendium or digest of Roman law compiled by order of the emperor Justinian I in the 6th century .The Digest was one part of the Corpus Juris Civilis, the body of civil law issued under Justinian I...
which was written and put together by Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
Emperor Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
.
One sixth of the Corpus Juris Civilis
Corpus Juris Civilis
The Corpus Juris Civilis is the modern name for a collection of fundamental works in jurisprudence, issued from 529 to 534 by order of Justinian I, Eastern Roman Emperor...
in the Digest consists of Paulus’ work. Paulus is the most excerpted Roman jurist in the Digest. After Paulus, Ulpian
Ulpian
Gnaeus Domitius Annius Ulpianus , anglicized as Ulpian, was a Roman jurist of Tyrian ancestry.-Biography:The exact time and place of his birth are unknown, but the period of his literary activity was between AD 211 and 222...
is the second most excerpted Roman jurist in the Digest. Paulus in the Digest is referred in two passages, which he gave a contrary opinion to Alexander Severus, but Severus chose Papinianus‘ opinion.
From Paulus’ surviving works, the Sententiae and Filium have the longest fragments.