Aemilius Papinianus Aemilius Papinianus ( 142 – 212 ) , also known as Papinian , was a celebrated Roman jurist , " magister libellorum " and , after the death of Gaius Fulvius Plautianus in 205 , praetorian prefect . Life . Little is known about Papinianus . He was of Syrian birth and a native of Emesa , for he is said to have been a kinsman of Septimius Severus ' second wife , Julia Domna , who was a member of the royal family of Emesa . One source shows him as a follower of the casuistry of Quintus Cervidius Scaevola , another shows him to have been his pupil . A concurring ( but dubious ) passage in the " Augustan History " claims that he studied law with Severus under Scaevola . Papinianus was an intimate friend of the emperor Severus and accompanied him to Britain during 207 , where he served in " the forum of York " in response to an uprising by Scottish Highlanders . He was at some time made a master of petitions ( requests ) , " magister libellorum " , by Severus . He also served as Treasurer and Captain of the Guard for the Emperor . Before the emperor ' s death , he commended his two sons Caracalla and Geta into the lawyer ' s charge . Sharing in the governorship of the Roman Empire with Geta proved unsatisfactory for Caracalla , who decided at some time to usurp his brother . Papinian trying to keep peace between the brothers , only proved to encourage the hatred of Caracalla , consequently passing an order to have the lawyer beheaded ( Spartianus , " Caracalla " ) , and his body dragged through the streets of Rome . His death was following the 212 fratricide of Geta , amongst the general slaughter of his friends and those perceived associated with him , according to one source estimated as 20 , 000 persons . The author of the 1911 " Encyclopædia Britannica " article though states that the details of Papinianus ' death " are variously related , and have undergone legendary embellishment . " Works . Much of his output has been lost , as what we have is small compared to other jurists such as Ulpian or Paul . The principal works of Papinianus include : " Quaestiones " in 37 books ( written before 198 ) ; nineteen books of " Responsa " ( written sometime between 204 and his death ) ; two books of " Definitiones " ; two books " De adulteriis " , and other works , the shortest of these being Αστυνόμικος ( City - Administration ) which was a manual on the duties for commissioners of streets and bridges . Legacy . Papinianus was one of the most revered of Roman jurists by the Romans , as third year law students were given the title " " Papinianistae " " ( meaning " they that are worthy to study Papinian " ) . In his time , he had been called " the Asylum of Right and Treasurer of the Laws " . Along with Gaius , Paulus , Modestinus and Ulpian , he was made one of the five jurists whose recorded views were considered decisive by the Law of Citations of 426 ; their views would later be considered the only suitable ones to be cited as primary sources for the " Codex Theodosianus " and the " Corpus iuris civilis " , provided that Papinian ' s views prevailed whenever those of the four other jurists were not congruent . French jurist Jacques Cujas later wrote that " there was never such a great lawyer before , nor ever will be after him " .