ULPIAN, DOMITIUS. - Roman jurist of the 3rd century A.D., originally from Tyre in Phoenicia. Little is known of his life: from 205 to 211 he served, Paulus (v.), as assessor to the praetorian prefect Papinian (v.).
Exiled by Elagabalus in 222, he was soon recalled by Alexander Severus; and after holding the offices of magister libellorum and praefectus annonae, he attained the position of praefectus praetorio by the end of the same year. The Emperor’s deferential benevolence did not suffice to shield him from the hatred of the praetorians, by whom he was assassinated in A.D. 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 praetor’s edict after that of Pomponius; the 50 books Ad Sabinum represent the most comprehensive exposition of the jus civile known. To these commentaries are added six books on fideicommissa, four De appellationibus, four Ad legem Aeliam Sentiam, twenty Ad legem Iuliam et Papiam, and five Ad legem Iuliam de adulteriis. Another notable group of works treats matters of public law: ten books De officio proconsulis, three De officio consulis, ten De omnibus tribunalibus, and other libri singulares on the offices of various officials and magistrates.
Besides several minor works, whose attribution is partly disputed, there is attributed to U. the Liber singularis regularum or Tituli ex corpore Ulpiani (cod. Vat. Reg. 1128), a post-classical compilation of fragments from Ulpian’s works. U. was, with Paulus, one of the authors most extensively drawn upon by the commission charged with compiling Justinian’s Digesta; and he is one of the jurists cited in the Law of Citations (v.).