Lex Cornelia de Majestates

Roman law

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June 30, 2026

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The Lex Cornelia de Majestatis was a Roman law enacted by Lucius Cornelius Sulla around 81 BCE. This law defined and punished treason, or maiestas, which encompassed acts that threatened the security and stability of the Roman state. It was part of Sulla's broader reforms aimed at strengthening the authority of the Senate and re-establishing order after a period of civil unrest.1

The law established a standing criminal court to try cases of treason, a concept that had been utilized earlier by tribunes like Lucius Appuleius Saturninus. The Lex Cornelia de Majestatis was significant because it codified and criminalized a range of offenses against the state, contributing to the legal framework of the late Roman Republic.21

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Sulla
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…trials; a new treason law, Lex Cornelia Majestatis, designed to prevent insurrection by provincial governors and army commanders; the requirement that the tribunes had to submit their legislative proposals to the Senate for approval; and various laws protecting citizens against excesses of judicial and executive organs.
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…trials; a new treason law, Lex Cornelia Majestatis, designed to prevent insurrection by provincial governors and army commanders; the requirement that the tribunes had to submit their legislative proposals to the Senate for approval; and various laws protecting citizens against excesses of judicial and executive organs.
Read More