Legal Definitions - Decretum Gratiani

Definition: Decretum Gratiani is a collection of ecclesiasticalauthorities compiled by Gratian, an Italian monk, around 1140. It is also known as Concordia discordantium canonum, which means "the harmony of the discordant canons".

Gratian analyzed questions of law by comparing different texts and drawing conclusions. His work became the basis for later canonist scholarship.

For example, the Decretum Gratiani became an authoritative text-book for canonists, who rarely went behind it. It was highly respected, similar to how English lawyers have paid reverence to Coke upon Littleton.

The Decretum Gratiani is an important historical document that shows the development of canon law and its influence on society.