Elusive Sources: Leo VI's Basilika Code of Laws

by Ambarenya

Hi fellow historians, I have summoned you here to ask for any help that you might render.

I have been looking for several months now for information regarding Leo VI's Basilika Code of Laws, which apparently is extremely hard to find. I was able to extract some information about the history of the more modern manuscripts in this Encyclopedia Britannica entry from 1911, but I haven't been able to find any more recent scholarship, save for a small mention of the Basilika in this 1918 review publication. Worldcat and my ever-trusty Harvard Library have sadly yielded next to nothing. As noted, I am very surprised that this highly influential and monumental work has gotten almost no coverage in the modern day, and quite frankly, I find it appalling.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone might have some clues to helping me track down some of these manuscripts, because it seems there has been little to no interest in translating the work into English (as seems to be the case with many Byzantine works). I have a theory that the existing translations into Latin may go under different names, which may be preventing me from finding what I'm looking for, but I'd like some input from some of my other historical brethren, preferably those knowledgeable in Byzantine sources.

Thanks in advance.

[deleted]

The citation you're looking for is:

Fabrot, Charles-Annibal, Carl Wilhelm Ernst Heimbach, and Gustav Ernst Heimbach. Basilicorum [Leonis Imperatoris] Libri LX. Post Annibalis Fabroti Curas Ope Codd. Mss. a Gustavo Ernesto Heimbachio Aliisque Collatorum. Lipsiae: J. A. Barth, 1833.

Here it is in Hollis (I couldn't believe Harvard didn't have a copy)

Columbia also seems to have it as an e-resource, but I have no other link.

George-81

There's the newer Scheltema - Van der Val edition with the scholia. Consists of numerous tomes, but exellent overall.