This course is organised around three major moments in the history of law in Europe. The first is the invention of a specific form of law in ancient Rome. The second is the rediscovery of that law in Italy during the Middle Ages. The third is the promulgation of the French Code Napoleon in 1804. Far from being irrelevant to the modern law of Europe, those moments have contributed to steer it in significant ways. In fact, a closer appreciation of them may help to clarify some of today's most pressing concerns.