Introduction: Ancient heritage: The law of the Roman Empire.

The article focuses on the evolving scholarly understanding of Roman legal history, emphasizing its significance for both historical and modern legal studies. It highlights how traditional views of Roman law, primarily based on Emperor Justinian’s Corpus Iuris Civilis, have expanded through the study of diverse sources such as papyri and legal documents from various Roman provinces, revealing significant regional legal diversity. This shift challenges the long-held assumption of a uniform Roman legal system and underscores the importance of examining both central and peripheral legal practices. The article also references an international conference held in Budapest in 2022, where interdisciplinary research on Roman law and related topics was presented and discussed.