Odofredus facts for kids

Odofredus' grave at San Francesco church, Bologna, Italy.

Odofredus (died December 3, 1265) was an Italian jurist. A jurist is a person who studies and writes about law. He was born in Ostia, a town near Rome. Later, he moved to Bologna, a city in Italy famous for its university.

In Bologna, Odofredus studied law with important teachers like Jacobus Balduinus and Franciscus Accursius. After finishing his studies, he worked as an advocate. An advocate is a lawyer who speaks for people in court. He worked in both Italy and France. In 1228, he became a law professor at the University of Bologna.

Odofredus was known for his lively teaching style. He often added personal comments and stories to his lessons. He would often start by saying Or signori, which means "Listen, gentlemen." One of his most famous sayings was: "Everybody wants to know, but nobody wants to know the price of knowledge." This means that people want to learn, but they might not want to put in the hard work it takes. Odofredus passed away in Bologna in 1265.

What Did Odofredus Write?

Odofredus wrote many important books about law. These books are called "commentaries" because they explain and discuss Roman law. His writings are very helpful for understanding how the study of law grew in Italy during the 12th and 13th centuries. They also share interesting details about the lives of other legal experts from that time.

Some of his well-known works that were printed a long time ago include:

• Lecturae in Codicem (published in Lyons, 1480)
• Lecturae in Digestum Vetus (published in Paris, 1504)
• Summa de libellis formandis (published in Strassburg, 1510)
• Lecturae in Tres Libros (published in Venice, 1514)
• Lecturae in Digestum Novum (published in Lyons, 1552)

Images for kids

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  Elucidatio in novem posteriores libros Infortiati, 1550

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  Summa de libellis formandis, 13th-century manuscript. Würzburg, Universitätsbibliothek, Handschriften, M. p. j. f. 7, ff. 13r-18r.