Originally published: London: Stevens and Sons, 1876. xvi, 445 pp. Reprint of the only edition. A landmark in the study of Roman law, the final edition of Ortolan"s Explication Historique des Instituts de Justinien (1873) is a vast three-volume work containing a history of Roman law, a treatise on Roman jurisprudence and a complete commentary on the Institutes, the textbook of Justinian"s law from the Corpus Juris Civilis. It was the standard textbook in its day and often the basis for examinations. Conceived for students with limited time and fluency in French, Mears"s Analysis is a skillful condensation of Ortolan"s work. Still a remarkably comprehensive study, it provides an excellent contextual overview of Roman law.