The Theodosian Code
<p>The Theodosian Code was created out of need, not want. While Roman Law was a paragon of organization and bureaucracy, after nine centuries of laws piling on top of each other it had reached a breaking point. Lawmakers moved to create a clear, singular book of laws instead of relying on various sources or interpretations. As the Western Roman Empire neared its final collapse, Eastern emperor Theodosius II moved to codify all law stretching back to Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor. A mix of government policy, personal affairs, and religious law, the Theodosian Code became the first official codification of Roman Law since the XII Tables. It was a huge step to take for an empire in crisis, and in its text told much about the declining society which forced its creation. Serving as the basis for law across the empire for a century (only the Eastern Empire after 476 AD), the Code spoke volumes about the heavily autocratic and religious Late Empire. Despite being replaced a century later by the Justinian Code, Theodosius’ endeavor set a standard for codification and the effect of a single law code on a society.</p>
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