basilica

basilica
    n 1: an early Christian church designed like a Roman basilica;
         or a Roman Catholic church or cathedral accorded certain
         privileges; "the church was raised to the rank of basilica"
    2: a Roman building used for public administration [syn:
       {basilica}, {Roman basilica}]
    

Basilica \Ba*sil"i*ca\, n.; pl. {Basilicas}; sometimes
   {Basilic[ae]} (-s[=e]). [L. basilica, Gr. basilikh` (sc.
   o'iki`a or stoa` fr. basiliko`s royal, fr. basiley`s king.]
   1. Originally, the palace of a king; but afterward, an
      apartment provided in the houses of persons of importance,
      where assemblies were held for dispensing justice; and
      hence, any large hall used for this purpose.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Arch.)
      (a) A building used by the Romans as a place of public
          meeting, with court rooms, etc., attached.
      (b) A church building of the earlier centuries of
          Christianity, the plan of which was taken from the
          basilica of the Romans. The name is still applied to
          some churches by way of honorary distinction.
          [1913 Webster]
    

Basilica \Ba*sil"i*ca\, n.
   A digest of the laws of Justinian, translated from the
   original Latin into Greek, by order of Basil I., in the ninth
   century. --P. Cyc.
   [1913 Webster]
    

BASILICA, civil law. This is derived from a Greek word, which signifies 
imperial constitutions. The emperor Basilius, finding the Corpus Juris 
Civilis of Justinian too long and obscure, resolved to abridge it, and under 
his auspices the work proceeded to the fortieth book, which, at his death, 
remained unfinished. His son and successor, Leo, the philosopher, continued 
the work, and published it in sixty books, about the year 880. Constantine 
Porphyro-genitus, younger brother of Leo, revised the work, re-arranged it, 
and republished it, Anno Domini, 910. From that time the laws of Justinian 
ceased to have any force in the eastern empire, and the Basilica were the 
foundation of the law observed there till Constantine XIII, the last of the 
Greek emperors, under whom, in 1453, Constantinople was taken by Mahomet the 
Turk, who put an end to the empire and its laws. Histoire de la 
Jurisprudence Etienne, Intr. a 1'etude du Droit Romain, Sec. LIII. The 
Basilica were written in Greek. They were translated into Latin by J. Cujas 
(Cujacius) Professor of Law in the University of Bourges, and published at 
Lyons, 22d of January, 1566, in one vol. fo.