Ulpian, Domitius

ULPIAN, DOMITIUS. - Roman jurist of the 3rd century AD, a native of Tyre in Phoenicia. Not much is known of his life: from 205 to 211 he was, together with Paul (v.), assessor to the praefectus praetorio Papinian (v.).

Exiled by Elagabalus in 222, he was recalled shortly afterwards by Alexander Severus; and, after holding the offices of magister libellorum and praefectus annonae, he attained, toward the end of that same year, that of praefectus praetorio. The Emperor's deferential benevolence did not suffice to protect him from the hatred of the praetorians, by whom he was murdered in the year 228.

U. is perhaps the most prolific of the Roman jurists. His major works concern private law. The 81 books ad edictum praetoris urbani constitute the most extensive commentary on the praetorian edict after that of Pomponius; the 50 books ad Sabinum are the most extensive exposition of the ius civile that is known. Alongside these commentaries stand 6 books on fideicommissa, 4 de appellationibus, 4 ad legem Aeliam Sentiam, 20 ad legem Iuliam et Papiam, 5 ad legem Iuliam de adulteris. Another notable group of works, on the other hand, deals with subjects of public law: 10 books de officio proconsulis, 3 de officio consulis, 10 de omnibus tribunalibus, and other singulares books on the offices of various functionaries and magistrates.

Besides certain minor works, the attribution of which is in part disputed, there goes under the name of U. the Liber singularis regularum or Tituli ex corpore Ulpiani (cod. Vat. Reg. 1128), a collection made in the postclassical era of fragments of Ulpian's works. U. was, together with Paul, one of the authors most exploited by the commission charged with composing Justinian's Digesta; and he is one of the jurists of the law of citations (v.).

Rodolfo Danieli