Leges Barbarorum

Germanic law

Also known as: Barbarorum, Leges, barbarian law

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

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The Leges Barbarorum (Laws of the Barbarians) are the earliest written collections of Germanic law, dating from the 5th to 9th centuries CE. These laws, written in Latin, show Roman influence in their legal terminology.1

Germanic law was primarily based on the customs of a particular tribe rather than central authority. It was personal, applying only to members of that nation, and was largely unwritten, derived from popular practices and intertwined with morality. When Germanic tribes took over Roman territories, they initially applied their laws only to their own people, with Roman law remaining in effect for Roman subjects.1

The Leges Barbarorum were not modern legislation but records of customs that were collected and declared as law. They focused on specific situations, court procedures, compensation for violence, and inheritance, rather than comprehensive legal rules. The Salic Law, a prominent example, was a penal and procedural code with little Roman influence.12

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Anglo-Saxon law
…the so-called barbarian laws (leges barbarorum) of continental Europe, it made up the body of law called Germanic law. Anglo-Saxon law was written in the vernacular and was relatively free of the Roman influence found in continental laws that were written in Latin. Roman influence on Anglo-Saxon law was…
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…the so-called barbarian laws (leges barbarorum) of continental Europe, it made up the body of law called Germanic law. Anglo-Saxon law was written in the vernacular and was relatively free of the Roman influence found in continental laws that were written in Latin. Roman influence on Anglo-Saxon law was…
Read More

Germanic law
…Germanic law are the so-called Leges Barbarorum, which date from the 5th century until the 9th century. They are written in Latin and show Roman influence by their use of the technical terms of Roman law. The Anglo-Saxon laws and the laws of the North Germanic group, on the other…
Read More
…Germanic law are the so-called Leges Barbarorum, which date from the 5th century until the 9th century. They are written in Latin and show Roman influence by their use of the technical terms of Roman law. The Anglo-Saxon laws and the laws of the North Germanic group, on the other…
Read More