Legal Definitions - Institutes of Theophilus

Definition: The Institutes of Theophilus is a paraphrase of Justinian's Institutes written in Greek by Theophilus, a law professor at Constantinople who helped prepare the Institutes of Justinian. It is a legal treatise or commentary that serves as a foundation for the study of Roman law.

• One example of an institute is Coke's Institutes, a legal treatise or commentary published in 1628.
• Another example is the Institutes of Justinian, an elementary treatise on Roman law in four books.
• The Institutes of Gaius is an elementary treatise written by the Roman jurist Gaius in the second century A.D.
• The Institutes of Theophilus is a paraphrase of Justinian's Institutes written in Greek by Theophilus in the sixth century A.D.

These examples illustrate the different types of institutes that exist in the study of law, including legal treatises, elementary treatises, and paraphrases. The Institutes of Theophilus, in particular, is an important foundation for the study of Roman law and is still studied today.