There are no prerequisites. A basic knowledge of the rudiments of ancient Roman history is useful for attending the course. This knowledge will be reviewed in the first lessons of the course.

The study of ancient sources concerning the Roman legal experience, with main regard to private law, will lead the student to the knowledge of the rudiments of the historical experience of law and to the understanding of the key profiles of the private legal system. Students will be guided to an awareness of the origins of legal institutes of the Romanistic tradition through the analysis of the context in which they developed. Comparative insights into contemporary legal experience will also be provided.

It is also aimed at encouraging the acquisition, by the aspiring jurist, of the applicative profiles of the subject.

After a historical introduction, the course will be devoted to the examination of the foundations of private law in the Roman legal experience, from the archaic age to the post-classical and Justinian age. The following themes will be analysed: I. Roman Law and Its Intellectual Context. - II. Law Making. - III. The Evidence of Roman Law. - IV. Private Law in Roman Society. - V. Elements of Public Law. - VI. The Legacy of Roman Law.

•  (A) D. Johnston, The Cambridge Companion to Roman Law, Cambridge UP, Cambridge 2015, ISBN 9780521719940, chapters 2, 3, 6, 8, 9-18, 21.

Further materials will eventually be provided by the professor during the course of the lectures. 

• - Frontal teaching activities of a historical-theoretical nature.

  - Supporting teaching activities, in seminar form, also with the participation of guest scholars from Italy and abroad.

  - These activities will enable students to gain a more in-depth understanding of topics relating to political institutions and private law and to develop their knowledge and understanding, learning, independent judgement, application and communication skills.

• The examination is carried out in written form and in English language, in order to verify the student's knowledge and understanding of the course subjects, as well as his or her mastery of the essential linguistic tools and critical sense.

  In the assessment, account will be taken above all of the knowledge and awareness of the basic notions, the ability to present the topics in a fluent and reasoned manner, and the correct use of basic and specialised linguistic tools.

  The completeness of the information, the ability to critically analyse it, also referring to the most important problem profiles, the mastery of the tools also in terms of the ability to apply them to concrete cases will also be assessed.

  
  

  Procedure for written examination

  The examination will take place in 60 minutes and will contain 7 multiple-choice questions and 4 open-ended questions.

  Each multiple-choice question will be marked with 2 points for a correct answer and 0 points for an incorrect answer (the criterion of knowledge and ability to understand texts will therefore be weighted 100%).

  Each short open-ended question will be scored 0-4 depending on the quality of the answer. In the assessment of each open-ended answer, the grading criteria below will each have a weight of 25%:

  a) knowledge and ability to understand the texts;

  b) ability to make connections between texts;

  c) ability to apply knowledge;

  d) autonomy of judgement and critical thinking.

  
  

  It will not be possible to consult any textbooks or other materials during the examination.

  
  

  The examinations will be carried out in written form also for students of previous academic years. 

  
  

The course is taught in English.

English