Legal Definitions - Institutes of Gaius

Definition: The Institutes of Gaius is an elementary treatise on Roman law written by the Roman jurist Gaius in the second century A.D. It served as a foundation for the Institutes of Justinian, which is one of the four component parts of the Corpus Juris Civilis.

Example: The Institutes of Gaius is a legal text that provides an introduction to Roman law. It covers topics such as property, contracts, and inheritance. This text was used as a basis for the Institutes of Justinian, which became one of the most influential legal texts in history.

Explanation: The example illustrates how the Institutes of Gaius served as a foundation for the Institutes of Justinian. It also shows how this text was an important introduction to Roman law and covered essential legal topics.