Summary

Pacta successoria in Roman and contemporary law: observations in the margin of M.F. Merotto’s recent book. – The work I patti successori dispositivi nel diritto romano is the most recent publication tackling the problem of contractual succession according to Roman law. In the book’s introduction, Maria Federica Merotto responds to the voices calling for a more nuanced study of this phenomenon. Despite numerous exciting thoughts, the study displays shortcommings. The vast discrepancy between the declared methodological attitude and the actual course of the textual exegesis serves as a starting point for a more profound reflection on the shadow that modern legal concepts cast onto the ancient texts and the narrowness of traditional corpus of sources in conventional Roman law research.