Roman law forms an important part of the intellectual background to many of the legal systems currently in force in continental Europe, Latin America and other parts of the world. This text traces the historical development of Roman law from the earliest period of Roman history up to and including Justinian's codification in the 6th century AD. It examines the nature of the sources of law, forms of legal procedure, the mechanisms by which legal judgments were put into effect, the development of legal science and the role of the jurists in shaping the law.