Constantine

Constantine, a.

325, by the following constitution of Constantine, Cod.

Constantine introduced a forty years’ limitation of a real action or prescription:

From that time too the military oath was changed to the form, which is found in Vegetius, and the soldier swore, “By God, and Christ, and the holy spirit, and the majesty of the Emperor, to whom as next to God, homage and reverence are due from mankind” Nor out of so many Bishops at that time, many of whom suffered the most cruel treatment for their religion, do we read of a single one, who dissua …

Thus Constantine took up arms against Maxentius and Licinius, and other Roman emperors either took, or threatened to take them against the Persians, if they did not desist from persecuting the Christians.

At the same time a conqueror will take care that erroneous opinions do not prevail to the prejudice and overthrow of true religion, as was done by Constantine upon his crushing the party of Licinius, and afterwards by the Franks and other kings.

Augustus caused to be passed the all-important group of Leges Juliæ and among later emperors the most active promulgators of constitutions are princes who, like Constantine, have the concerns of the world to readjust, The true period of Roman Statute Law does not begin till the establishment of the empire.

Shortly after the introduction of the Quasi-castrense Peculium, Constantine the Great took away the father’s absolute control over property which his children had inherited from their mothers, and reduced it to a usufruct, or life-interest.