List of professors at the Roman law school of Beirut
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Extant ancient texts provide a list of the names and deeds of some of the law school of Berytus's professorial body. Seven of the most notable
Berytus ) or Laodicea in Canaan (2nd century to 64 BCE) , image = St. George's Cathedral, Beirut.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = Roman ruins of Berytus, in front of Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in moder ...
(modern Beirut) professors were styled "Ecumenical Masters"; they were largely responsible for the revival of legal education in the Eastern Roman Empire. Beirut law school professors were involved in drafting parts of Justinian's '' Corpus Juris Civilis,'' namely 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 ...
and the
Institutes An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes can ...
''.'' The scarce sources include historical accounts, works of legal scholarship, anthologies, ancient correspondences and funerary inscriptions. Below is a list that includes the dates of service of each of the identified law professors:Collinet 1925, p. 192


Notable professors

Antioch-based rhetoric teacher Libanius wrote many letters of correspondence to Domninus the Elder, a 4th-century law school professor. In 360, Libanius invited Domninus to leave Beirut and teach with him at the rhetoric school of Antioch. Domninus apparently declined the offer, since later correspondence to him from Libanius, between 361 and 364, served as recommendations for law school candidates. The most brilliant era of Beirut's law school, spanning the century between 400 and 500, was known as the era of the "Ecumenical Masters" (Greek: τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλοι). During this period, a succession of seven highly esteemed law masters was largely responsible for the revival of legal education in the Eastern Roman Empire.Jolowicz 1972, p. 453Collinet 1925, p. 131 The seven revered masters, cited with praise by 6th-century scholars, were
Cyrillus Cyrillus, Greek jurist of the 5th century, was a professor in the ancient Law School of Berytus (present-day Beirut), and one of the founders of the oecumenical school of jurists (τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλοι). This school pr ...
, Patricius,
Domninus Domninus may refer to: Saints *Saint Domninus or Saint Domnius, also Saint Duje, 3rd-century Syrian martyr-bishop, patron of the city of Split *Saint Domninus of Fidenza (San Donnino di Fidenza) (d. 304) *Saint Domninus of Parma (early 4th century ...
, Demosthenes,
Eudoxius Eudoxius (Ευδόξιος; died 370) was the eighth bishop of Constantinople from January 27, 360 to 370, previously bishop of Germanicia and of Antioch. Eudoxius was one of the most influential Arians. Biography Eudoxius was from Arabissos of ...
,
Leontius Leontius ( el, Λεόντιος, Leóntios; – 15 February 706), was Byzantine emperor from 695 to 698. Little is known of his early life, other than that he was born in Isauria in Asia Minor. He was given the title of ''patrikios'', and ma ...
and Amblichus. Cyrillus was the founder of the ecumenical school of jurists.Kassir 2010, p. 52 He is believed to have taught as of or . Styled "the great" due to his reputation as a teacher, he was known for his direct use of ancient sources of law and for interpreting jurists such as Ulpian and Papinian. Cyrillus wrote a precise treatise on definitions that supplied the materials for many important ''scholia'' appended to the first and second titles of the eleventh book of the ''Basilika, Basilica''. Patricius was praised in the third preface of the Justinian
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 ...
(''Tanta-Dedoken'') as a distinguished professor of the Beirut law school. Archaeological excavations done in Beirut at the turn of the 20th century revealed a funerary monument believed to have belonged to Patricius. The son of Eudoxius, Leontius was described by ecclesiastical historian Zacharias Rhetor, who was his first-year student in 487 or 488, to have a great reputation in the legal field. He was raised to the office of Praetorian prefecture of the East, Praetorian prefect of the East under Emperor Anastasius I Dicorus, Anastasius I between 503 and 504, and became Magister militum in 528. Leontius was also involved as a commissioner in the preparation of the first Codex Justinianeus, codex of Justinian. His contemporary, Amblichus, wrote a commentary on Ulpian's ''Libri ad Edictum''. Historical sources also tell of Euxenius, a teacher at the Beirut law school who taught during the times of the "Ecumenical Masters". Euxenius was the brother of the city's bishop Eustathius and was involved in the 460 religious controversy caused by Pope Timothy II of Alexandria, Timothy Aelurus, which opposed the Miaphysitism, Miaphysites to the followers of the Council of Chalcedon. Several Beirut professors contributed to the ''Corpus Juris Civilis,'' a fundamental work in Roman jurisprudence. Dorotheus (jurist), Dorotheus, Anatolius (son of Leontius) and Julianus were school professors contemporary to Justinian I. The first two were summoned to the imperial court and commissioned to draft the ''Digesta''. Under the supervision of Tribonian, Dorotheus also collaborated with Theophilus, a Constantinopolitan law teacher, in drafting the ''Institutes of Justinian, Institutiones''.Collinet 1925, pp. 186–189Monro 1872, p. xxix Julianus, the last known professor of Beirut's law school, was extolled by Theaetetus as "the light of the law". After the 551 Beirut earthquake, massive 551 Beirut earthquake, Julianus left Beirut and settled in Constantinople, where he authored the ''Novellae Constitutiones, Epitome Iuliani'' in 555.Collinet 1925, pp. 190–191 Under Justinian, there were eight teachers in the law schools of the Byzantine Empire, presumably four in each of Beirut and Constantinople's schools.Jolowicz 1972, p. 454 Justinian mandated the supervision and enforcement of discipline in the school of Beirut to the teachers, the city's bishop and the Praeses, governor of Phoenicia, Phoenicia Maritima.Monro 1872, pp. xviii–xxivCollinet 1925, p. 34


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * {{cite book, title='Beryt und Bologna' in Festschrift für Otto Lenel zum fünfzigjährigen Doctorjubiläum am 16. dezember 1921: überreicht von der Rechts- und Staatswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Freiburg i. Br, author=Pringsheim, Fritz, publisher=University of Michigan Library, year=1921, location=Ann Arbor, Mich., language=German Berytus Byzantine law Roman law Lists of ancient Roman people, professors