| Keywords |
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| ID |
5287 |
| Text |
Edictus Rothari (643 - 643) Rothari, Rothair |
| Quotation |
Praesentem vero dispositionis nostrae edictum, quem deo propitio cum summo studio et summis vigiliis a celestem faborem praestitis inquirentes et rememorantes antiquas legis patrum nostrorum quae scriptae non erant condedimus et quod pro commune omnium gentis nostrae utilitatibus expediunt pari consilio parique consenum cum primatos iudices cunctosque felicissimum exercitum nostrum augentes constituimus… per subtilem inquisitionem de antiquis legis langobardorum tam per nosmetipsos quam per antiquos homines memorare potuerimus in hoc edictum subiungere debeamus addentes quin etiam et per gairethinx secundum ritus gentis nostrae confirmantes, ut sit haec lex firma et stabelis… |
| Translation |
Our present edict lays out – with the favour of God and with the greatest care and favour obtained by heavenly favour – having sought and found the old laws of our fathers which were not written down those provisions which are useful for the common good of all our people, with the equal counsel and consent of our most important judges and with the rest of our most happy exercitus (nation) assisting… through careful investigation of the old laws of the Lombards known either to ourself or to the old men, we have been able to recapture and put it down in this lawbook imparted and confirmed through the gairethinx [formal procedure] and according to the rite of our gens [people], let this law be strong and stable…
(Emended from K. Fischer-Drew, trans., The Lombard Laws (1973), p. 129) |
| Summary |
Rothari, No. 386 is the first of three laws that essentially form an epilogue to the Edict. It begins by stating that the Lombard law had not been previous written down. Instead, it recounts that the ancient law (=custom) of “our fathers” had been inquired into and recalled, and then written down in the law book. This was done with the aid of God, as well as the main iudices [judges] and "our" nation [exercitum]. The law then continues to inform on how it was written down on parchment [membranum], before reiterating that the knowledge was drawn from old men of the nation. concludes with a statement that the law has been issued and confirmed by the formal procedure [gairethinx] and the customs/rites [ritus] of “our people” [gentis nostrae], before stating the hope that the law will be strong [firma] and stable [stabelis], and then going on to conclude that it should be adhered to by “all our subjects” [omnibus nostrais subiectis]. |
| Quotation source |
MGH, LL 4, 1868 (F. Bluhme), pp. 89-90 |
| Temporal Coverage |
643 - 643 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Comment |
The Edictus Rothari forms part of the collected Edictus Langobardorum [Text, ID:984]. |
