edicta

Germanic law

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June 17, 2026

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The term "edicta" refers to edicts, which are proclamations having the force of law or a command. In the context of Germanic law, which governed various Germanic peoples from their initial contact with Romans until the shift to national territorial law, edicts were issued by kings. For instance, Lombard kings issued edicts from the mid-7th century onward, and Frankish kings, particularly the Merovingians, used the terms edicta or praecepta for their legislation. These edicts, along with other forms of law, were often recorded in the Leges Barbarorum (Laws of the Barbarians).12

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Germanic law
…Merovingian kings called their legislation edicta or praecepta, but the succeeding Carolingians characterized them as capitularia—i.e., royal ordinances divided into articles (capitula). These included modifications of the leges of the Franks or other nations in the Frankish kingdom, administrative orders to officials, and independent legislation. Like the Roman emperors before…
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…Merovingian kings called their legislation edicta or praecepta, but the succeeding Carolingians characterized them as capitularia—i.e., royal ordinances divided into articles (capitula). These included modifications of the leges of the Franks or other nations in the Frankish kingdom, administrative orders to officials, and independent legislation. Like the Roman emperors before…
Read More