Legal Definitions - commentators

Definition: Commentators, also known as postglossators, were a group of Italian jurisconsults who wrote commentaries and treatises during the 14th and 15th centuries. They related Roman law to other contemporary bodies of law such as feudal and Germanic law and canon law.

The postglossators were the second wave of Roman-law study after its revival in the 11th century. The first wave was that of the glossators.

Example: One example of a commentator is Bartolus de Saxoferrato, an Italian jurist who wrote commentaries on Roman law. He was a prominent postglossator who contributed to the development of legal thought in Europe.

Explanation: Bartolus de Saxoferrato is an example of a commentator because he was an Italian jurisconsult who wrote commentaries on Roman law during the 14th and 15th centuries. His commentaries related Roman law to other contemporary bodies of law, which is a characteristic of postglossators.