List of Roman laws


This is a partial list of Roman laws. A Roman law is usually named for the sponsoring legislator and designated by the adjectival form of his gens name, in the feminine form because the noun lex is of feminine grammatical gender. When a law is the initiative of the two consuls, it is given the name of both, with the nomen of the senior consul first. Sometimes a law is further specified by a short phrase describing the content of the law, to distinguish that law from others sponsored by members of the same gens.

Post-Roman law codes based on Roman legislation

General denominations

  • lex agraria A law regulating distribution of public lands
  • lex annalis A law regarding qualifications for magistracies, such as age or experience
  • lex ambitus A law involving electoral bribery and corruption; see ambitus
  • lex curiata Any law passed by the comitia curiata. These included Roman adoptions, particularly so-called "testamentary adoptions" and the lex curiata de imperio which granted imperium to senior Roman magistrates under the Republic, likely also ratifying the choice of a new king during the monarchy. It was the traditional basis for the later lex de Imperio allowing imperial succession.
  • lex frumentaria A law regulating the price of grain
  • lex sumptuaria A law regulating the use of luxury items and public manifestations of wealth

Other