List of Roman laws

This is an attempted alphabetical List of Roman laws. The name of the law is usually the gens of the legislator, declined on the female form (because in latin language law - lex, plural leges - is a word with female gender). When a law is the initiative of the two consuls, is given the name of the two, with the senior consul gens signalled first. Sometimes, a short description of the content of the law is added.

See also: Roman law

Note - The list is very incomplete: you can help Wikipedia by adding laws to it.

Table of contents

1 Roman laws
2 General denominations
3 Special laws

3.1 Notes

Roman laws

Lex Acilia de intercalando (191 BC) - adjustment of the calendar
Lex Acilia repetundarum (123 BC) - repetundae procedures
Lex Acilia Calpurnia (67 BC) - permanent exclusion from office in cases of electoral corruption
Lex Aebutia de magistratibus extraordinariis (154 BC?) - proposer of extra-ordinary magistracy cannot hold it
Lex Aebutia de formulis
Lex Aelia et Fufia (c. 150 BC?) - two laws probably regulating auspices
Lex Aelia Sentia (4 AD) - manumission of slaves
Lex Aemilia - distribution of freedmen among tribes
Lex Antonia de Termessibus - alliance with Termessus
Leges Antoniae - measures of Marcus Antonius against dictatorship etc
Lex Appuleia - measures of Saturninus, 103 BC and 100 BC
Lex Aquilia
Lex Aternia-Tarpeia (454 BC) - maximum fines
Lex Atinia (149 BC) – Tribunes of the plebs automatically promoted to the senate
Lex Aufeia - settlement of Asia c. 124 BC
Lex Aurelia de tribunicia potestate (75 BC)
Lex Aurelia iudiciaria (70 BC)
Lex Baebia - number of praetors
Lex Calpurnia (149 BC) – Establishes a permanent extortion court
Lex Cassia (137 BC) – Introduces secret votes in court jury decisions
Lex Domitia de sacerdotis (104 BC) – Establishes election of pontifex maximus, until then chosen by the college of priests
Lex Gabinia (139 BC) – Introduces secret votes in election for magistrate offices
Lex Genucia (342 BC) – No man can hold the same office before 10 years have elapsed from the first election
Lex Hortensia (287 BC) – Plebiscites approved by the Assembly of the People gain the status of law
Lex Ogulnia (300 BC) – The priesthoods are open to plebeians
Leges provinciae (146 BC) – a set of laws designed to regulate and organize the administration of Roman provinces
Leges Semproniae agrariae (133 BC) – Set of laws issued by Tiberius Gracchus to redistribute land among the poor; repealed after his assassination
Lex Titia (43 BC) – Gives Octavianus, Marcus Antonius and Lepidus full powers to defeat the assassins of Julius Caesar; legalizes the second triumvirate
Lex Villia annalis (180 BC) – Established minimum ages for the cursus honorum offices; determined an interval of two years between offices
Lex Voconia (169 BC) – Women no longer can be the main heir to a dead man estate, including cases were there are no male relative alive

General denominations

Lex agraria – A law regulating distribution of public lands
Lex annalis - qualifications for magistracies
Lex frumentaria – A law regulating price of grain
Lex sumptuaria – A law regulating the use of luxury items and public manifestations of wealth

Special laws

Senatus consultum – A Senate decree
Senatus consultum de re publica defenda (see note 1) – Literally Senate decree for the defence of the Republic. Issued by the senate in cases of extreme peril for the republic, usually to deal with internal political violence. The first decree was issued in 121 BC, due to riots provoked by Gaius Gracchus.
Twelve Tables – The first set of Roman laws published by the Decemviri in 451 BC, which would be the starting point of the elaborate Roman constitution. The twelve tables covered issues of civil, criminal and military law. Every Roman that went to school was supposed to know them by heart.

Notes

Note 1 – The word Republic derives from the Latin res publica (literally, public thing). The Romans often wrote the two words as one, respublica and inflected both words.