The Peira is a textbook. The author worked in 11th-century Constantinople for one of the highest judges at the court of the Byzantine emperor, whose verdicts he used to create a legal primer. He copied aphorisms and arguments, cited cases and laws. This provides us with a unique glimpse into the largely overlooked imperial Byzantine legal system. This volume contains a critical edition of the text, a translation into German, and a commentary.

Dieter R. Simon, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Diether R. Reinsch, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.