我國民法錯誤規定雖師法德國民法，學說受日本錯誤理論影響頗大，然德國與日本民法錯誤之規定，均非立法者無中生有，而為歐陸羅馬法以來兩千年來錯誤議論脈絡下的產物。本文描繪歐洲契約締結錯誤法則發展軌跡，遠溯孕育歐陸錯誤理論之羅馬法古典時期，經由中世紀羅馬法之繼受、自然法思想之洗禮及18世紀自然法法典之制定，一直到20世紀初歷史法學派及學說彙纂法學及受其影響的德國民法、瑞士債務法錯誤法則之生成為止。法國、奧地利及瑞士等國錯誤法則之理解，無法脫離法律兩千年來歐洲錯誤論之脈絡及受羅馬法影響的各該國家歷史發展之軌跡。歐陸錯誤理論，尤其是法國Pothier等法學家之著述，縱然不是最關鍵的動力，至少對英國錯誤法則之形成有推波助瀾的貢獻，而Pothier關於錯誤法則之論述，依然是以羅馬法大全學說彙纂錯誤案型為基礎。

The subject of mistake belongs to the matters which still appear to be very confused nowadays. The treatment of mistake is regarded as one of the weakest aspects of classical contract law. This article aims at tracing the developments of the principles of mistake in contract from Roman law, through the reception of Roman law in the medieval and the influence of natural law on the enactments of civil codes in the 18th century, until the Historical school and the school of Pandecten in the beginning of the 20th century. In the nineteenth century, especially the ideas of Pothier were received into the common law by the treaties writers and judges.