Roman law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (), to the (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I. Roman law also den ...

, a ''constitutio'' ("constitution") is any

legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

enactment by a Roman emperor. It includes edicts, decrees (judicial decisions), and ''rescripta'' (written answers to officials or petitioners). ''Mandata'' (instructions) given by the Emperor to officials were not constitutions but created legal rules that could be relied upon by individuals. One of the most important constitutions issued by a Roman emperor was Caracalla's ''

Constitutio Antoniniana The (Latin for "Constitution r Edictof Antoninus"), also called the Edict of Caracalla or the Antonine Constitution, was an edict issued in AD 212 by the Roman emperor Caracalla. It declared that all free men in the Roman Empire were to be ...

'' of 212, also called the Edict of Caracalla or the Antonine Constitution, which declared that all

free men "Free Men" (1966) is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. It was his only short story known to have been published after " All You Zombies". It originally appeared in his collection '' The Worlds of Robert A. Hei ...

of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

were to be given

Roman citizen Citizenship in ancient Rome () was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, traditions, and cu ...

ship and all free women the same rights as Roman women.

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