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Development Of The Concept Of Corporation From Earliest Roman Times To A.D. 476, Jeffrey L. Patterson

Accounting Historians Journal

The idea of the "modern" business corporation is usually traced to England during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. However, many corporate attributes can be found in the Stoic's scientific theory of corpora. This theory permeated both Roman law and science and manifested itself in many of the Roman Empire's business and non-business entities. A historical and geographical linkage is suggested between the concept's development in Rome and its eventual appearance in England.