Doro'theus
a celebrated jurist of quaestorian rank, and professor of law at Berytus.
Works
One of the principal compiles of Justinian's
Digest
He was one of the principal compilers of Justinian's Digest, and was invited by the emperor from Berytus to Constantinople for that purpose. (Const.
Tant. § 9.)
Contributor to the
Institutes
He also had a share, along with Tribonian and Theophilus, in the composition of the Institutes. (
Prooem. Inst. 93.)
Other Work
He was one of the professors to whom the Const.
Omnem, regulating the new system of legal education was addressed in A. D. 533, and in the following year was employed, conjointly with Tribonian, Menna, Constantinus, and Joannes, to form the second edition of the Code, by the insertion of the fifty decisions, and by such other alterations as were necessary for its improvement. (Const.
Cordi. § 2.)
Ant. Augustinus (cited by Suarez,
Notit. Basil. § 29) in his Prolegomena to the Novells of Justinian, asserts that Mat. Blastares ascribes to Dorotheus a Greek interpretation of the Digest, not so extended as that of Stephanus, nor so concise as that of Cyrillus.
The passage, however, as represented by Augustinus, is not to be found in the Prooemium of the
Syntagma of Blastares, as edited by Bishop Beveridge in the second volume of his
Synodicon. Fabrotus (
Basil. vi. p. 259, in marg.) asserts without ground, "Dorotheus scripsit
τὸ πλάτος ;" i. e. a Greek translation of the text of the Digest. That Dorotheus commented upon the Digest appears from
Basil. ed. Fabrot. iv. pp. 336, 337, 338, and
Basil. ed. Heimbach, i. pp. 623, 763; ii. p. 138.
Dorotheus occasionally cites the Code of Justinian. (
Basil. iv. pp. 375, 379.) Bach (
Hist. Jur. Rom. lib. 4. c.1. sect. 3.9, p. 630) asserts, that he wrote the
Index of the Code, but vouches no authority for this assertion, which is doubted by Pohl. (
Ad Suares. Not. Bas. p. 71, n.
τ.)
Passages in the
Basilica
where Dorotheus is cited
The following list of passages in the Basilica (ed. Fabrot.), where Dorotheus is cited, is given by Fabricius: (
Bibl. Gr. xii. p. 444:) 3.212, 265; 4.336, 337, 338, 368, 370, 371, 372, 374, 376, 378, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 398, 399, 401, 402, 403, 704; 5.39, 144, 173, 260, 290, 325, 410, 414. 423, 433, 434; 6.49, 259, 273; 7.95, 101, 225.
Dorotheus died in the lifetime of Stephanus, by whom he is termed
ὸ μακαρλ́της in
Bsil. 3.212.
Possible later jurist named Dorotheus
Some have believed that a jurist of the same name flourished in a later age, for the untrustworthy Nic. Comnenus Papadopoli (
Praenot. Mystag. p. 408) cites a scholium of Dorotheus Monachus on the title
de testibus in the
Compendium Legum Leonis et Constantini. [
J.T.G]
