Roman law
Topic: The Roman Empire · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
By the fourth century the Roman Empire had a strong tradition of law. The state was authoritarian and often answered disagreement with violence. Even so, the law acted as a brake on even the most feared emperors. People actively used it to protect their civil rights.
Example
Because of this legal tradition, powerful bishops such as Ambrose could openly stand up to harsh emperors in the fourth century. The government also made laws against corruption in the late bureaucracy, and historians wrote against it. This tradition of public criticism goes back to classical times.