Edictum Rothari

law history

Also known as: Edict of 643

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June 25, 2026

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The Edictum Rothari was a Lombard legal code issued in 643 CE. It was not legislation in the modern sense but rather a written record of existing customs, collected and declared as law. This edict applied only to the Lombards and was a significant step in codifying Germanic law, which was traditionally unwritten and based on popular customs. The Edictum Rothari was later emended by King Liutprand, who added 153 articles and abolished the guidrigild, a fine for personal injury or murder. The Lombards were a Germanic people who ruled a kingdom in Italy from 568 to 774 CE.123

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Germanic law
…had similar functions, while the Edictum Rothari (643) applied to Lombards only.
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…had similar functions, while the Edictum Rothari (643) applied to Lombards only.
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Liutprand
Liutprand emended King Rothari’s Edict of 643, which served as the code of Lombard law; his revision added 153 articles and abolished the guidrigild, a fine of money, like the Germanic wergild, levied to compensate for personal injury or murder.
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Liutprand emended King Rothari’s Edict of 643, which served as the code of Lombard law; his revision added 153 articles and abolished the guidrigild, a fine of money, like the Germanic wergild, levied to compensate for personal injury or murder.
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Italy
The Lombard kingdom, 584–774
…out Lombard custom, in his Edict of 643, a substantial law code that survives independently. It is evident, however, that the basic institutions of the kingdom were by then fairly stable. Between 616 and 712 the Bavarian dynasty—the family of Agilulf’s wife, Theodelinda—dominated the succession; kings who were not members…
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…out Lombard custom, in his Edict of 643, a substantial law code that survives independently. It is evident, however, that the basic institutions of the kingdom were by then fairly stable. Between 616 and 712 the Bavarian dynasty—the family of Agilulf’s wife, Theodelinda—dominated the succession; kings who were not members…
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