This brief survey of Roman law in practice sets the law in its social and economic context, avoiding all unnecessary legal technicalities, and shows its importance for a wider understanding of Roman history. The second edition has been extensively updated and includes a new chapter on crime and punishment.

David Johnston is a Queen's Counsel who practises in Scotland mainly in the field of public law. He was previously Regius Professor of Civil Law in the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Christ's College. He is an honorary professor at Edinburgh Law School and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His other publications include works on both Roman and modern law, in particular The Roman Law of Trusts (1988) and Prescription and Limitation (2nd ed., 2012).

1. Introduction; 2. Sources and methodology; 3. Family and inheritance; 4. Property; 5. Commerce; 6. Litigation; 7. Crime, delict, regulation and public order.