Institutes of Roman Law

Justinian I was a Byzantine Emperor who ruled from 527 to 565 AD. Justinian I is best remembered for his legislative work, particularly the extensive rewrite of all Roman law, which had never been undertaken before. The Corpus Juris Civilis is the name given to all of Justinian's Laws today, which is largely based upon the Institutes of Gaius. Gaius's "Institutes" was included in this compilation, highlighting its significance in Roman legal education and the preservation of legal knowledge.

Papinian was one of five jurists (Gaius. Ulpian, Paulus and Modestinus) whose principles judges were required to apply when making decisions. Among the five Classical jurist whose works were to be authoritative in legal proceedings, Papinian was deemed to be the most influential, his perspective would be used in the event where there were equal numbers of views from each jurist.

Modestinus was a Roman jurist and a contemporary of Gaius. His work "Responses" (Responsa) covered various legal matters, including the concept of possession, further enriching the legal discourse of their time. While there might not be a direct personal relationship between Modestinus and Gaius, their works were part of the broader legal landscape of the Roman Empire, influencing each other and shaping legal understanding.