Corpus Juris Civilis
The sixth-century compilation of Roman law commissioned by Byzantine emperor Justinian I. It comprises the Code, Digest, Institutes, and Novels.
Code of Justinian: A collection of imperial constitutions organized into books and titles, compiled under Justinian and first issued in 529. This book gathered imperial legislation into a revised, authoritative code.
Justinian Code of 534: The revised edition of Justinian’s Code, promulgated in 534 to replace the first edition. Its revision updated the collection after the Digest and Institutes were prepared.
Justinian I: Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565 who pursued legal, administrative, and military reforms. He commissioned the compilation and made it an instrument of imperial reform.
Medieval reception of Roman law: The rediscovery, study, and adaptation of Roman legal texts in medieval Europe. Medieval scholars made the compilation a foundation for renewed study of Roman law.
Digest: A collection of excerpts from writings by Roman jurists, arranged by subject and promulgated in 533. This book preserved and organized jurists’ legal opinions.
Codification: The systematic arrangement of laws into an organized body of written rules. Justinian’s project used codification to consolidate imperial law and juristic learning.
Tribonian: A Byzantine jurist and imperial official who directed major stages of Justinian’s legal compilation. He led the commissions that prepared the Code, Digest, and Institutes.
Glossators: Medieval scholars who explained Roman law by writing annotations, or glosses, alongside its texts. Their glosses helped make the compilation usable in medieval legal teaching.
Institutes of Justinian: A legal textbook issued in 533 that introduced Roman law and also had force as legislation. This book taught foundational law while carrying legal authority.
Constitutio Tanta: Justinian’s 533 enactment promulgating the Digest and restricting the alteration of its text. It gave the Digest legal force and governed its authoritative use.