Brisson - Formulis et Sollemnibus Populi Romani - 1583

Rites and Roman Legal Institutions: The Secret Language of Power
This sumptuous folio edition, published in Paris in 1583 by Sebastian Nivellius, represents the most famous and ambitious work of the French jurist Barnabé Brisson: De formulis et sollemnitatibus populi Romani.
conceived as a vast, systematic repertoire of the legal, religious, and ceremonial formulas of ancient Rome, the volume restores the verbal and ritual fabric that governed the public and private life of the City. Organized into eight books, the work presents itself as a true encyclopedia of Roman gestures, words, and solemnities, from the forum to the courts, from political assemblies to religious cults. In it, philological erudition blends with a political view of the history of law, transforming the Roman past into a normative and symbolic model for the legal culture of modern Europe.
Market value
The sixteenth-century editions of Barnabé Brisson's works are particularly sought after on the antique market. A complete copy of the Paris edition of 1583, in folio, generally falls within a value range of 1,200 to 2,500 euros, with fluctuations tied to the state of preservation, the quality of the paper, and the binding. Copies in good condition, with an intact title page, solid paper, and a contemporary binding, easily reach the upper end of the valuation.

Physical description and condition
Contemporary parchment binding, spine with raised bands, lacking parts and signs of wear. Architectural frontispiece illustrated in red and black with a large woodcut vignette. Text laid out in two columns. Presence of some physiological browning and foxing, compatible with the volume’s age. In old books, with a multi-centuries history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 4 nn.; 858; 84 nn.; (2).

Full title and author
Councillors of the Royal Council, the Most Illustrious Senate of the Parisian President, On the Formulas and Solemnities of the Roman People in Words, Eight Books.
Paris, at Sebastianus Nivellius, under Ciconiis, 1583.
Barnabé Brisson.

Context and Significance
The De formulis et sollemnitatibus populi Romani is one of the fundamental texts for understanding the law and rituals of ancient Rome from the perspective of legal humanism. Brisson adopts a rigorously systematic method, collecting and organizing legal formulas, ritual expressions, and ceremonial procedures drawn from classical sources, Roman law, and the antiquarian tradition. The work does not merely describe the rites, but analyzes their political and symbolic function, showing how legal and ceremonial language was an essential instrument of governance and legitimation of power. In this sense, the volume stands at the crossroads between philology, the history of law, and political theory, and it played a central role in shaping European legal culture between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Brief biography of the author
Barnabé Brisson was born in 1531 and died in 1591. A jurist and high-ranking magistrate, he served as president of the Parliament of Paris and was a prominent figure in French political and intellectual life in the late sixteenth century. An author of important works on law and antiquarian scholarship, he managed to fuse legal rigor with a deep knowledge of classical antiquity. He died tragically during the Wars of Religion, a victim of the violence of the Catholic League.

Printing history and circulation
The work was printed for the first time in Paris in 1583 by Sebastian Nivellius, one of the most active humanist editors in the fields of law and classical philology. The volume achieved wide diffusion in university, legal, and noble libraries, becoming an indispensable reference point for jurists, historians, and antiquarians. In the following centuries the work was reprinted and sometimes expanded, but the princeps edition of 1583 remains the most prized for its typographic quality, completeness, and historical value.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Adams, B 2752
Renouard, Parisian Printers, Vol. II, p. 134
Brunet, I, 1261
Graesse, I, 529
ICCU-SBN, inventories of the copies kept in Italian libraries