Julius Paulus

Little is known of the life and family of Paulus; he was a man of Greek descent[citation needed], who originated from an unknown Phoenician town or from Patavium (modern Padua, Italy).

In a constitution of the emperor Gordian III dating from 239 and referring to the marriage, where is cited a response of Paul, he is called vir prudentissimus Paulus (C.J.

His surviving works are extremely prolific, displaying a keen analysis of other opinions of jurists and Paulus expressed his legal views.

Paulus comments on the jurists Javolenus Priscus, Quintus Cervidius Scaevola, Marcus Antistius Labeo, Salvius Julianus and Aemilius Papinianus.

Paulus was one of the five jurists whose opinions were made constitutionally authoritative in 426 by Roman Emperors Theodosius II and Valentinian III.

Due to his fame, several other works have been attributed to him, in particular the 3rd century compilation Pauli sententiae ("Paul's Views" or "Sentences").

Title page of the 1566 edition of the Codex Theodosianus , edited by Jacques Cujas and published by Guillaume Rouillé , also containing the so-called Pauli sententiae