How Did Roman Law Influence Medieval Political Thought

Roman law influenced Medieval Political Thought because of its principles and legal systems that served as basis for the latter and its institutions. In the contest of power between imperial and ecclesiastical authorities, Roman law influenced both claims. This essay will explain the history and principles of the Roman law and its influences to Medieval Political Thought.

Roman law developed progressively since it started as a collection of religious customs and set of rules. The primary form of the Roman law was religious in nature as it was distinct among early peoples. Crimes which are detrimental to public order were considered as disobedience or offenses to gods rather than to state. (Wanlass, 1953) Primarily, Roman law was inclined towards

The Roman law was drastically changed into a liberalized form making it a basis for the arguments biased to secular supremacy. The revival of the study of Roman law was a response not only to the tendency to argue in favor of secular supremacy in the raging contest for power but also to the demands of time. The necessities of the rising Italian cities the Justinian code was revived as well as the systematic study of the Roman law (Wanlass, 1953). Some ideas were introduced by the Roman law which was used as a basis for secular supremacy. These are the following: legislative absolutism of the emperor, the emperors possessed an unbroken succession of the powers of the Caesar, and that the emperor is the governor of the whole civilized world. This supported the imperial claims for supremacy because the Roman law is something which is distinct from the political thought of the medieval era (Wanlass, 1953). The German emperor held on to these ideas especially to the thought that the Roman imperial power was transferred to the medieval emperor through a succession of power from the Caesars. The restoration of Roman law strengthened the right to supremacy of rulers. In the close of the middle ages (medieval era), Roman law weakened in view of the rising interest to Roman jurisprudence but nevertheless it indirectly affected the medieval