Titius Aristo (sometimes, incorrectly, Titus Aristo) was a distinguished jurist of

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...

, who lived around the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, under the emperor

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

, and was a friend of

Pliny the Younger Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61 – c. 113), better known as Pliny the Younger (), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate ...

. He is spoken of by Pliny in terms of the highest praise, as not only an excellent man and profound scholar, but a lawyer thoroughly acquainted with private and public law, and perfectly skilled in the practice of his profession.

Works

Pliny does not say anything about Aristo's merits as an author, and though his works are occasionally mentioned in the compendium of juristic writings known as the ''

Digest Digest may refer to: Biology *Digestion of food *Restriction digest Literature and publications *''The Digest'', formerly the English and Empire Digest *Digest size magazine format * ''Digest'' (Roman law), also known as ''Pandects'', a digest ...

'', there is no direct extract from any of them in that compilation. In philosophy, this model of a virtuous lawyer is described by Pliny as a genuine disciple of the

Stoa Poikile The Stoa Poikile (, ) or Painted Porch, originally called the Porch of Peisianax (, ), was a stoa (a covered walkway or portico) erected during the 5th century BC and was located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. The Stoa Poikile ...

. He has been usually supposed to belong to the legal sect of

Proculeian school The Proculeian or Pegasian school was one of the two most important schools of law in ancient Rome during the 1st and 2nd centuries. Origin The Proculeians originally took their name from the prominent jurist Proculus, but later came to often be ca ...

, which clashed with the rival sect of the

Sabinian school The Sabinian school was one of the two important schools of Law in Rome during the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. The Sabinians took their name from Masurius Sabinus but later were known as ''Cassians'' after Sabinus' student, Cassius Longinus. Sabini ...

, though there is at least one situation described in which his legal opinions sided with the Sabinian Javolenus instead of the Proculeian Pegasus. Aristo wrote notes on the ''Libri Posteriorum'' of

Marcus Antistius Labeo Marcus Antistius Labeo (d. 10 or 11 AD) was a Roman jurist. Marcus Antistius Labeo was the son of Pacuvius Labeo, a jurist who caused himself to be slain after the defeat of his party at Philippi. Since his name was different from his father's, ...

, on "Cassius" (unclear which one, but likely

Gaius Cassius Longinus Gaius Cassius Longinus (c. 86 BC – 3 October 42 BC) was a Roman senator and general best known as a leading instigator of the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC. He was the brother-in-law of Brutus, another leader of the cons ...

or a descendant), whose pupil he had been, and on

Masurius Sabinus Masurius Sabinus, also Massurius, was a Roman jurist who lived in the time of Tiberius (reigned 14–37 AD). Unlike most jurists of the time, he was not of senatorial rank and was admitted to the equestrian order only rather late in life, by virtu ...

. "Aristo in decretis Frontianis", or "Frontinianis", is once cited in the ''Digest''; but what those decreta ("decisions") were has never been satisfactorily explained. He corresponded with his contemporary jurists,

Publius Juventius Celsus Publius Juventius Celsus Titus Aufidius Hoenius Severianus (AD 67– AD 130) — the son of a little-known jurist of the same name, hence also Celsus filius — was, together with Julian, the most influential ancient Roman jurist of the High Class ...

and

Lucius Neratius Priscus Lucius Neratius Priscus was a Roman Senator and leading jurist, serving for a time as the head of the Proculeian school. He was suffect consul in the ''nundinium'' of May–June 97 as the colleague of Marcus Annius Verus. Family The origins o ...

; and it appears probable that many of the ''responsa'' and ''epistolae'' of the Roman jurisconsults were not opinions upon cases occurring in actual practice, but answers to the hypothetical questions of pupils and legal friends.

Other Possible Works

Other works have been attributed to him without strong consensus among modern scholars. Some, for example, have inferred from a passage in

Aulus Gellius Aulus Gellius (c. 125after 180 AD) was a Roman author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome. He is famous for his ''Attic Nights'', a commonplace book, or ...

, that he wrote ''de furtis''; and, from passages in the ''Digest'', that he published books titled ''Digesta'' and ''Responsa''.''

'' 24. tit. 3. s. 44. pr.; 8. tit. 5. s. 8.5 ; 23. tit. 2. s. 40

References

{{Authority control Ancient Roman jurists 1st-century Romans 2nd-century Romans 2nd-century writers