Germanic Kingdoms: Notable Concepts (inc. Legal Codes)

Code of Euric (All Facts) 

• Legal code issued by King Euric of the Visigoths, which

  • Was the first document published that recorded in writing Visigothic (German) law(s) into Latin 

  • Helped reassure his subjects that the Visigothic Kingdom was administered according to the rule of law  

  • Dealt with issues such as land tenure 

Lex Burgunidonum (All Facts) 

• Legal code issued by King Gundobad of the Burgundians, which

  • Brought the Romans and Burgundians under the same law

  • Was influenced by Roman law

  • Dealt with domestic laws concerning marriage and inheritance as well as regulating the Germanic practice of “weregild” and other penalties

Breviarium / Breviary of Alaric (All Facts)

• Legal code issued by King Alaric II of the Visigoths, which

  • Recorded the laws of the Romans into Latin 

  • Reassured nervous Romans that their legal rights were protected

  • Was his attempt to pacify the Roman population during his reign

  • Was inspired by the Theodosian Code 

• It is sometimes called the “Summary”

Barbarian / Germanic Court Trials (All Facts) 

• Procedure done by oath-swearing

• If tat failed, this procedure was done by ordeal through fire and water

• To prevent vendettas, compensation was paid to the families of crime victims 

Edictum Rothari (All Facts)

• Edict issued by the namesake King of Lombardy which codified all the laws of the Lombards into Latin for the first time

Liber Ludiciorium (All Facts)

• Published by Recesswinth, it

  • Aimed to achieve complete equality between all subjects, both Hispano-Romans and Goths

  • Was the first territorial law code that applied to everyone regardless of racial and/or cultural differences

  • Replaced or rendered obsolete the Breviarium / Breviary of Alaric