Inheritance Rights of Nonmarital Children in Late Roman Law

Roman Legal Tradition, Vol. 4, pp. 1-36, 2008

SMU Dedman School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 00-37

37 Pages Posted: 8 Oct 2008 Last revised: 25 Feb 2009

See all articles by Joshua C. Tate

Joshua C. Tate

Southern Methodist University - Dedman School of Law

Date Written: October 7, 2008

Abstract

Late Roman legislation regarding the inheritance rights of nonmarital children is a tangled web of seemingly conflicting constitutions. Focusing on the period 371-428 AD, this Article argues that, when two particular Western laws from that era are considered alongside others issued at the same time, it is possible to discern some wider legislative trends that may help to contextualize the different attitudes shown toward nonmarital children. C.Th. 4.6.4 (371), a Western law beneficial to nonmarital children, can arguably be linked with another Western law issued shortly afterward granting a privilege to the daughters of actresses, another disfavored class in the late empire. On the other hand, the later Western constitution C.Th. 4.6.7 (426-27), the exact content of which is uncertain and disputed, appears to have been issued at a time when the Western consistory was especially concerned with promoting the interests of legitimate heirs. This lends support to the theory that the Western C.Th. 4.6.7 (and not a subsequent Eastern constitution hypothesized by Antti Arjava) was the law referred to in C.Th. 4.6.8 (428) as adopting a harsh position with regard to nonmarital children.

Keywords: Inheritance, Roman Law, Theodosian Code

Suggested Citation

Tate, Joshua C., Inheritance Rights of Nonmarital Children in Late Roman Law (October 7, 2008). Roman Legal Tradition, Vol. 4, pp. 1-36, 2008, SMU Dedman School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 00-37, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1280164

Joshua C. Tate (Contact Author)

Southern Methodist University - Dedman School of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 750116
Dallas, TX 75275
United States
(214) 768-2791 (Phone)

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