How did Rome spread through to worlds legal system?

Answer 1

Roman law became influential with the rediscovery of the Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil Law) in a library in Pisa in 1070. This was a collection of books commissioned by the emperor Justinian I. A first edition was published in 529 and a second one in 534. It comprised a comprehensive compendium and revision of four centuries of Roman law and two textbooks for law students. This work was dubbed Justinian Code in the 16th century.

The rediscovery of this work had a big impact. Bologna University (established in 1088) was the first university in Europe and its major appeal was its faculty of law, which had four professors who specialised in studying interpreting this work. It attracted student all over Europe. The Corpus Juris Civilis became the plank of the development an emerging class of professional lawyers. It became the foundation of the law in the Italian city-states of the time and was used as the foundation of the law of the Holy Roman Empire. The law of many modern countries is based on Roman law through the use of the Corpus Juris Civilis.