Quintus Mucius Scaevola

Quintus Mucius Scaevola (died 82 bc) was the founder of the scientific study of Roman law.

As consul in 95 Scaevola and his colleague obtained the passage of the Lex Licinia Mucia, which removed certain groups not amalgamated into the Roman Republic (the so-called Latin and Italian allies) from the citizen rolls. The unrest created by this measure exploded in the Social (Italic) War of 90–88. After his consulship Scaevola was governor of the province of Asia. In this position he punished farmers who defaulted on their tax payments and issued an edict on provincial administration that became a model for later governors. About 89 he was appointed pontifex maximus. Though not himself religious, he regulated the priestly colleges and insisted on observance of the traditional rituals.

Scaevola was the author of an 80-volume systematic treatise on civil law, a compilation of legislative enactments, judicial precedents, and passages from older collections that was frequently quoted and followed by subsequent writers. In addition, he wrote a small handbook called Horoi (“Definitions”), consisting of short rules of law and explanations of legal terms; it was to be the oldest work excerpted in the Byzantine emperor Justinian I’s Digest. He was killed in the massacres directed by Lucius Cornelius Sulla in his struggle against Gaius Marius for imperial power.