Rothari

Rothari, in Latin Rotari or Rotarius, was a king of the Lombards who ruled during the first half of the 7th century. He is best known for commissioning the Lex Rothari, also called the Edict of Rothari, a comprehensive Lombard law code completed around 643. The work was prepared with the help of Lombard nobles and bishops and represents a blend of traditional Lombard customary law with Roman legal concepts and terminology.

Lex Rothari covers areas including property, contracts, inheritance, crimes, penalties, family matters, and the status of Romans under Lombard rule. It is written in Latin and preserves a record of how Lombard governance integrated Germanic and Roman legal practices in northern Italy.

Historical significance: Lex Rothari is one of the oldest surviving Lombard legal texts and a primary source for early medieval law. It provides insight into social structure, political authority, and the interactions between Lombards and Roman inhabitants in Italy. The code influenced subsequent Lombard legal developments and is frequently cited in studies of medieval law.