ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Praetor's Edict

Okay kiddo, so a praetor was a type of ancient Roman judge who made decisions about disputes between people. The praetor's edict was like a list of rules that the praetor would use to make these decisions fairly.

The edict was really important because it helped people know what to expect from the judge. Like if you were in a fight with your neighbor over a tree in your yard, you could look at the edict and see how the praetor had decided similar cases in the past. That way, you could argue your case in a way that made sense to the judge.

The praetor's edict was also updated every year to include new rules or changes to old ones. So it was kind of like a handbook that the judge could use to make fair decisions based on what had happened in the past.

So that's basically what the praetor's edict was all about. It was a list of rules that helped the ancient Roman judge to make fair decisions in disputes between people.