The Roman empire encompassed a vast area, incorporating many different cultures, and yet Roman law had to resolve disputes across the board. This meticulous study of the ways and means in which Roman law asserted control over disputes between individuals, communities and even states, is based on an in-depth analysis of legal texts, including Justinian's Corpus Juris . The study examines the Roman concept of the arbitrator, a duty that any good man' could have been called upon to perform, the types of cases he might be expected to settle, the settlements and compromises, the hearings and the enforcement measures available to him.