This thesis deals with establishment of the foundation and development of the concept of ownership in Roman law, and thus the influence of the Roman concept of ownership on the further development of property rights in the European area with special reference to Croatian contemporary law. The form of property rights that we know and apply in modern law exists thanks to the centuries-old development of Roman law, starting from a small agrarian community and all the way to the height of the Roman Empire itself. In the first part of the paper, the concept and features of real rights and the position of property rights within the system of real rights are analyzed, and the genesis of the development of the concept of ownership in Roman law and the characteristics of ownership as a real right with the widest circle of authorization are presented. The paper attempts to offer a comparative analysis of Roman an contemporary Croatian law, especially regarding the subject of property rights, its assignees and possible limitations, and original and derivative ways of acquiring ownership. Special attention is paid to legal means for the protection of property rights, along with relevant examples from Croatian judicial practice, thus offering an overview of rei vindication, action negatoria and action Publiciana lawsuits with clarification of the termination of property rights.