Papinian (Aemilius Papinianus)

PAPINIANO (Aemilius Papinianus). - Roman jurist, b. probably in Syria, d. in Rome in 212. He pursued a most brilliant career in the imperial administration: assessor to the praetorian prefect in the age of Marcus Aurelius, under the reign of Septimius Severus he held the office of magister libellorum, then rose to that of praetorian prefect. In 212 he was put to death by order of Caracalla, according to tradition for having refused to justify the killing of the latter's brother, Geta.

His major works are 37 books of Quaestiones (which contain practical cases and doctrinal expositions), and 18 books of Responsa; he also wrote two short works de adulteris, two books of Definitiones and, perhaps, a short treatise in Greek ('Ἀστυνομικὸς μονόβιβλος') on the functions of certain magistrates (ἀστύνομαι) charged with roads and city building. His writings are distinguished by acuteness of judgment and by the search for solutions always inspired by morality and equity. He enjoyed the highest fame in the post-classical schools; and of this there is a trace also in the particular position attributed to him among the five jurists of the so-called "law of citations" (v.).

Rodolfo Danieli