In this book Honore, using his innovative method of analysis examines the laws of a crucial period of the late Roman empire (379-455 AD), a time when the west collapsed while the east survived. Wherever possible, he assigns each law to the likely imperial quaestor who drafted it. This approach yields a novel type of list of office holder (Fasti), in which each quaestor is associated with the laws he drafted.

Honore shows why the eastern-inspired Theodosian Code (429-438 AD), intended to restore the legal and administrative unity of the Roman empire, came too late to save the west. The book includes on disk a Palingenesia of the constitutions of the Theodosian Age. This valuable resource will enable scholars to read the texts chronologically and to judge the soundness of the arguments advanced.