From puzzled looks to a Cambridge book on Byzantine law

When Daphne Penna, who works at the Department of Legal History, tells people at a party or birthday celebration that she specialises in Byzantine law, she is often met with surprised — or even slightly pitying — looks. This is almost invariably followed by the question: what is Byzantine law, exactly?

To provide a clear answer once and for all, and to show that Byzantine law is not a curiosity but a vibrant and highly relevant field of research, Penna wrote an accessible introduction entitled Byzantine Law: The Law of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The book has been published in the Elements series by Cambridge University Press and is explicitly aimed at a broader academic audience. In clear language and without excessive technical jargon, Penna introduces Byzantine law: the law of the Eastern Roman Empire, a legal tradition rooted in Roman law that developed within a Christian, multilingual, and multicultural society.

By placing the law of the Eastern Roman Empire alongside Western legal traditions, the book demonstrates how important Byzantine law is for understanding Europe’s shared legal past.

With this book Penna contributes to the long tradition of research into Byzantine law at the University of Groningen.

Until 16 February, the book is available open access via this link. After that, it will be available for purchase at a price of 21.01 euros in paperback or 64.19 euros in hardcover.