The articles in this volume deal with subjects which have received relatively little attention from students of the Byzantine empire. The studies are concerned with aspects of the law, both civil and canon, and with the kinship ties formed through godparenthood, adoption and marriage by the emperor and his subjects, the considerations which contributed to their creation and the significance of these ties for those who contracted them. The common theme linking the studies on kinship and justice is an interest in determining how the law worked. Using legal commentaries, notarial formulae, court case transcripts and literary sources, the author attempts to reveal contemporary practices in court procedure, in crime detection and punishment, in legal teaching and argumentation. The studies examine technical aspects of the law such as its promulgation and dissemination, and the interaction of civil and canon law, but also the wider influence of the law on literary culture.
