33from the Roman Empire. Leo VI also added
new rules that regulated trade and trade
organizations and standardized the duties of
Byzantine court officials. These laws improved
the economy and the standard of living
throughout the empire.As the centuries passed, Byzantine rulers
amended laws to keep up with the changing
economy and times. This was a new way of
regarding law — seeing the system as one that
served the people and not something that had
to be obeyed out of loyalty to old times. This
flexible approach to making laws influenced
European lawmakers long after the Byzantine
Empire had fallen. For example, the
Napoleonic Code of 1804, one of the single
largest legal reforms of the modern age, grew
out of Byzantine legal legacy. The Code
abolished feudalism and allowed everyone,
not just the aristocracy, the right, if not the
ability, to own property. The Napoleonic Code
was an important step in replacing outdated
systems of Western European law that were
based largely on feudal favoritism and
inherited aristocratic privilege.
The laws and thinking processes that
emerged during the Byzantine period
gradually helped to create a more equal
society. They also served to improve relations
between upper and lower classes, as well as
between men and women. These reforms
helped to set the stage for the development of
western Europe’s legal thinking and, later,
that of the United States.Emily Abbinkis a former field archaeologist, retired
University of California Santa Cruz instructor in writing,
anthropology, and American studies, and the author of
three non-fiction books for children.gather, compile, clarify, and formalize
ancient Roman laws into a usable collection
(see illustration pages 30–31). He set out to
create a universal set of laws that the entire
Byzantine Empire could follow. These laws
would have precedence over local laws,
thereby preventing contradictions in court
rulings. Laws in many different languages
were translated into Latin for universal
accessibility. They were then organized into
categories according to people, things, or
activities. Justinian also added a strong
Christian influence to the development of
Byzantine laws. For example, he forbade
human sacrifice and, with help from his wife,
Theodora, issued some of the earliest laws
aimed at protecting women.
In 740C.E., Emperor Leo III issued the second
major Byzantine legal effort. This code,
known as Ecloga, was written in Greek, not
Latin, so that more citizens could understand.
It updated and furthered many of Justinian’s
reforms. The Ecloga clarified and modified
laws for rural areas and farms, touching on
taxation, the status of workers, family rights,
inheritance, and maritime and criminal law.
Leo also introduced standardized penalties
for crimes and outlawed the death penalty
for many lesser crimes, such as theft.
In 879 C.E., Emperor Basil started to adapt and
expand the earlier law collections of Justinian
and Leo III. His son, Leo VI, also known as Leo
the Wise, finished his father’s task during his
own reign with the 60-volume Basilika. This
work abolished many of the obsolete legal
practices the Byzantine Empire had inherited
Feudalism was a system in which people were given land and protection by people of
higher rank and, in turn, worked and fought for them in return.