The article deals with the history of legal translation. The author attempts to debunk the myth of literalness in legal translation practice, which has often been considered the inevitable consequence of the authoritative status of legal texts. Based on a comparison of a translation of the Institutes done in thirteenth-century France and a fairly recent rendition, the article argues that, like other forms of translation, legal translation practice is highly determined by factors such as the translator's objectives, the historical period in which the translation is performed, and the legal culture of the target audience.