The ‘lectio apvd acta’ as a Procedure for Publishing the Roman Imperial Statutes

Abstract

The lectio apud acta or recitatio was a procedure often employed during the principate to publish the imperial laws, above all, in the IVth. and Vth. Centuries A. D. Although it has a precedent from republican age, the editio pro contione, the reading, lectio, was developed under the Empire. It had not yet full legal effects in the Ist. Century, because its imposition demanded that the law was furthermore published by incissio or propositio. It isn't stated that this procedure had full effects until de IVth. Century, when only the public reading, preceded by the proceedings of reception of the law´s text and inspection of external and internal validation marks, and followed by the record in public acts, was enough in order to publish a law with the duly guarantees of publicity and fidelity in relation to the original text of the norms.