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How did Hadrian change the status of praetorian edicts around 131 CE?

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Roman law *Augustus from Prima Porta*, marble statue, c. 20 bce; in the Vatican Museums, Vatican City.

Around 131 CE, the emperor Hadrian fundamentally changed the status of praetorian edicts by commissioning their reorganization and consolidation into a "perpetual edict" (edictum perpetuum).12

Prior to this reform, the praetor issued an edict upon taking office that served as a program for his year, which had historically allowed magistrates to adapt Roman law to new conditions and principles of equity. By codifying these edicts, Hadrian effectively ended the practice of magistrates modifying existing law through their own legal interpretations. The resulting set of laws was declared unalterable, except by the emperor himself, marking a significant shift toward imperial centralization and the consolidation of legislative power in the hands of the emperor.123