Digital platform and inclusive meeting place for Roman law.

The project proposes to create a digital platform and inclusive meeting place for Roman law which is arguably the most important cultural heritage holding together the political fabric of the European community. The proposed starting point for reviving Roman law as a pillar of European political and cultural identity is an interactive online platform presenting the shared heritage in the structure of the Digest, the authoritative Roman law compendium (533 CE) commissioned by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (527-565 CE). Roman law as recorded in the Digest has inspired cultural and legal renewal in times of turmoil several times in European history, last time during the age of legal codification of new nation states in the long 19th century. With threats to the political system both from outside and within, Roman law could once again contribute to social, cultural and legal cohesion. To kickstart this ideal, the project first proposes to trigger renewed interest in text-based research of Roman law by bringing the invaluable resource of the Index interpolatiounum (eds. E Levy, E Rabel & L Mitteis, Weimar: H. Böhlau, 1929-1935) into the digital age. This gigantic early 20ᵗʰ century work, which was created by crowdsourced and citizen science principles of the time, brings together hundreds of years of scholarship on the authenticity of juristic fragments included in the Digest. The Index examines every line of every fragment considering their authenticity, providing alternative readings, and shaping our understanding of ancient Roman law. The platform will provide the tools to record alternative readings and comments, as well as legal and cultural instances that form part of the reception history of Roman law. For example, while English common law is arguably the farthest away from Roman law, the platform will bring to light court decisions and legislation inspired by Roman legal ideas. Appealing to a wider and younger audiences, the platform will provide tools to record the reception of Roman law in classical and popular culture, in the works of Shakespeare just as much as in comedy sitcoms like Plebs (2013-2022) or the 2023 TikTok trend “Thinking about the Roman Empire”. The project incorporates research on user engagement and the platform’s cultural and political impact. Work packages are envisaged to be allocated to Romanists and digital humanists, as well as to heritage practitioners, sociologists, and colleagues working in cultural anthropology, ethnology, media studies, literary studies and more. We will identify effective approaches to inspire wide and meaningful public engagement which will inform policy innovation and other cultural heritage projects.