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Extant ancient texts provide a list of the names and deeds of some of the law school of Berytus's professorial body. Seven of the most notable Berytus (modern Beirut) professors were styled "Ecumenical Masters"; they were largely responsible for the revival of legal education in the Eastern Roman Empire. Beirut law school professors were involved in drafting parts of Justinian's Corpus Juris Civilis, namely the Digest and the Institutes.
The scarce sources include historical accounts, works of legal scholarship, anthologies, ancient correspondences and funerary inscriptions. Below is a list that includes the dates of service of each of the identified law professors:[1]
| Dates (uncertain dates in italic) |
Names (uncertain names in italic) |
|---|---|
| Summer 356 to March / April 364 | Domninus (Domnio) |
| October 363 | Scylacius |
| Summer 365 | Anonymous |
| Summer 388 | Sebastianus? |
| 400–410, 438 | Cyrillus |
| 420–450 | Patricius |
| 450–490 | Domninus |
| Demosthenes | |
| Eudoxius | |
| May–June 460 | Euxenius |
| 480–500 | Amblichus |
| Before 487/488 – |
Leontius |
| End of the 5th century, early 6th century | Sabinus |
| Anonymous, mentioned in the Scholia Sinaitica | |
| 21 November 533, 16 December 533 | Dorotheus |
| 16 November 534 – around 565 | |
| 16 December 533 | Anatolius |
| 6th century | Thaleleus |
| Isidorus | |
| Stephen | |
| ? – 551 | Julian |
Antioch-based rhetoric teacher Libanius wrote many letters of correspondence to Domninus the Elder, a 4th-century law school professor. In 360, Libanius invited Domninus to leave Beirut and teach with him at the rhetoric school of Antioch. Domninus apparently declined the offer, since later correspondence to him from Libanius, between 361 and 364, served as recommendations for law school candidates.[2]
The most brilliant era of Beirut's law school, spanning the century between 400 and 500, was known as the era of the "Ecumenical Masters" (Greek: τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλοι). During this period, a succession of seven highly esteemed law masters was largely responsible for the revival of legal education in the Eastern Roman Empire.[3][4] The seven revered masters, cited with praise by 6th-century scholars, were Cyrillus, Patricius, Domninus, Demosthenes, Eudoxius, Leontius and Amblichus.[4]
Cyrillus was the founder of the ecumenical school of jurists.[5] He is believed to have taught as of c. 400 or c. 410. Styled "the great" due to his reputation as a teacher, he was known for his direct use of ancient sources of law and for interpreting jurists such as Ulpian and Papinian. Cyrillus wrote a precise treatise on definitions that supplied the materials for many important scholia appended to the first and second titles of the eleventh book of the Basilica.[6][7] Patricius was praised in the third preface of the Justinian Digest (Tanta-Dedoken) as a distinguished professor of the Beirut law school. Archaeological excavations done in Beirut at the turn of the 20th century revealed a funerary monument believed to have belonged to Patricius.[8][9] The son of Eudoxius, Leontius was described by ecclesiastical historian Zacharias Rhetor, who was his first-year student in 487 or 488, to have a great reputation in the legal field. He was raised to the office of Praetorian prefect of the East under Emperor Anastasius I between 503 and 504, and became Magister militum in 528. Leontius was also involved as a commissioner in the preparation of the first codex of Justinian.[5][10] His contemporary, Amblichus, wrote a commentary on Ulpian's Libri ad Edictum.[11]
Historical sources also tell of Euxenius, a teacher at the Beirut law school who taught during the times of the "Ecumenical Masters". Euxenius was the brother of the city's bishop Eustathius and was involved in the 460 religious controversy caused by Timothy Aelurus, which opposed the Miaphysites to the followers of the Council of Chalcedon.[12]
Several Beirut professors contributed to the Corpus Juris Civilis, a fundamental work in Roman jurisprudence.[13][14] Dorotheus, Anatolius (son of Leontius) and Julianus were school professors contemporary to Justinian I. The first two were summoned to the imperial court and commissioned to draft the Digesta. Under the supervision of Tribonian, Dorotheus also collaborated with Theophilus, a Constantinopolitan law teacher, in drafting the Institutiones.[15][14] Julianus, the last known professor of Beirut's law school, was extolled by Theaetetus as "the light of the law".[16] After the massive 551 Beirut earthquake, Julianus left Beirut and settled in Constantinople, where he authored the Epitome Iuliani in 555.[17]
Under Justinian, there were eight teachers in the law schools of the Byzantine Empire, presumably four in each of Beirut and Constantinople's schools.[18][19] Justinian mandated the supervision and enforcement of discipline in the school of Beirut to the teachers, the city's bishop and the governor of Phoenicia Maritima.[20][21]
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