Cujacius, properly JACQUES DE CUJAS or CUJAUS, jurist, born in 1522, was the son of a tanner of Toulouse. After studying law, he lectured on the Institutes at Cahors, Bourges, and Valence (1554–67); lived at Turin and Grenoble; and after repeated changes, finally settled in 1577 as professor at Bourges, where he resided till his death, October 4, 1590. His great reputation as a jurist was founded on a lucid exposition of Roman law, based on conscientious study of the original authorities. He had in his library 500 MSS. on Roman law, and by his emendations contributed greatly to remove the obscurities of jurisprudence. A complete collection of his works was edited by
Fabrot (10 vols. Paris, 1658), and frequently re-published. See Spangenberg's Cujacius (1822).