What was the Codex Justinianus?

The Codex Justinianus, or Code of Justinian, is a central component of the Corpus Juris Civilis, a comprehensive codification of Roman law ordered by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I in the sixth century AD. It served as a uniform rewriting of existing Roman laws and laid the foundational framework for civil law systems in many modern states. Alongside the Code, the broader legal collection eventually encompassed the Digest, the Institutes, and later the Novellae Constitutiones.

What we know

• The Code of Justinian is one part of the Corpus Juris Civilis, a major codification of Roman law ordered early in the sixth century AD by Emperor Justinian I. [2]
• The Corpus Juris Civilis also included the Digest, the Institutes, and later the Novellae Constitutiones, which were compiled unofficially after Justinian's death. [2, 5]
• The uniform rewriting of Roman law commissioned by Justinian is still the basis of civil law in many modern states. [3]
• Earlier legal components, such as the Law of Citations issued by Valentinian III, were included in the first edition of the Codex Justinianus. [4]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Emperor Justinian I?
• a case in pointWhat was included in the Digest?
• whenHow did Roman law develop over time?
• what followedWhat is the broader impact of the Corpus Juris Civilis on modern civil law?
• how we knowWhat was the Law of Citations?
• an unexpected connectionHow did military expansion in the west fund cultural and legal projects in Constantinople?The military campaigns directed by Justinian's generals to recover territories in North Africa and Italy re-established control over the western Mediterranean and significantly increased the Empire's annual revenue.

Sources

• [1]Code of Justinian (Wikidata Q735763) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Code of Justinian · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Justinian I · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Law of Citations · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Digest (Roman law) · CC BY-SA 4.0