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Quaestiones and Responsa — Papinian (Rome)

212 AD · Transmission: Global
LawLegalRoman

Papinian, considered for centuries the greatest Roman jurist, writes his most influential works — 37 books of Quaestiones and 19 of Responsa — as praetorian prefect under Septimius Severus. In 212, after Caracalla ordered the murder of his brother Geta, Papinian refuses to draft a public justification of the crime before the Senate; he is executed by imperial order. His legendary reply: "accusing an innocent man who has been murdered is a second act of murder." His writings become a required reference for law students (third-year students were called Papinianistae) and, together with Gaius, Ulpian, Paul, and Modestinus, one of the five authorities recognized by Theodosius II's Law of Citations (426).

Historical regionRoman Empire (probably Syria)
Primary sourceFragments in Justinian's Digest
Secondary sourceHistoria Augusta
Original languageLatin
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