Kein Volk der Gesetze: Anmerkungen zu Mantovanis These der legum multitudo im römischen Privatrecht

Abstract

Abstract „Die Begriffe und Sätze ihrer Wissenschaft erscheinen ihnen nicht wie durch ihre Willkühr hervorgebracht, es sind wirkliche Wesen, deren Daseyn und deren Genealogie ihnen durch langen vertrauten Umgang bekannt geworden ist F.C. v. Savigny, Vom Beruf unserer Zeit für Gesetzgebung und Rechtswissenschaft, Heidelberg 1814, 29.. No People of Statutes. Notes on Mantovani’s Thesis regarding a legum multitudo inRoman Private Law. It is commonly shared by Roman law scholars that the development of Roman private law has been driven by lawyers rather than by legislation. This assumption has recently been challenged by Dario Mantovani, according to whom the role of statutory law within Ro-man private law has been significantly underestimated since the 19th century until today. The paper critically appraises Mantovani s approach and reviews his line of reasoning.