Legal Definitions - Novellae Leonis

Term: Novellae Leonis
Definition: Novellae Leonis is a collection of 113 laws created by Emperor Leo between the years A.D. 887-893. These laws were created to help govern the Byzantine Empire during Leo's reign. Example: One of the laws in the Novellae Leonis collection was about the punishment for stealing. If someone was caught stealing, they would have to pay back what they stole and also pay a fine. This law helped to keep people from stealing and helped to maintain order in the empire. Example: Another law in the Novellae Leonis collection was about marriage. It stated that a man could not marry his stepmother or his sister-in-law. This law helped to prevent marriages that were considered taboo and helped to maintain the moral standards of the empire. The Novellae Leonis collection was an important set of laws that helped to govern the Byzantine Empire during Emperor Leo's reign. These laws helped to maintain order and moral standards in the empire.