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Justinian Code Timeline

(528 CE - 534 CE)

The Justinian Code, also known as the Corpus Juris Civilis, was a comprehensive codification of Roman law commissioned by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. It organized centuries of legal texts into an orderly body of law that preserved Roman legal heritage and became a foundational influence on civil law systems throughout Europe and beyond. Less

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Origins and Sources

Codex Gregorianus compiled

291

The Codex Gregorianus was a fourth-century collection of imperial rescripts that, along with the Codex Hermogenianus, provided a model for the later division of legal codes into books subdivided into titles. It served as one of the key source collections used by Justinian's compilers.

Image source: Codex Gregorianus

Codex Gregorianus compiled

Codex Hermogenianus compiled

295

The Codex Hermogenianus, a fourth-century collection of imperial legal rulings named after the jurist Hermogenian, complemented the Codex Gregorianus. Together these collections embodied material that Justinian's codifiers drew upon when organizing law into books and titles.

Image source: Codex Hermogenianus

Codex Hermogenianus compiled

Codex Theodosianus issued

438

The Codex Theodosianus, issued under Emperor Theodosius II, gathered imperial constitutions into an organized code. Justinian's compilers used it alongside earlier collections as a foundation for the new Corpus Juris Civilis.

Image source: Codex Theodosianus

Codex Theodosianus issued

Compilation under Justinian

Digesta (Pandectae) completed

533

The Digesta or Pandectae, completed in 533, is a collection of juristic writings, mostly dating back to the second and third centuries. It formed a core component of the Corpus Juris Civilis, preserving the wisdom of classical Roman jurisprudence.

Image source: Digest (Roman law)

Digesta (Pandectae) completed

Byzantine Continuation

Greek replaces Latin as dominant language

600 - 650

By the early 7th century, Greek had largely replaced Latin as the dominant language of the Eastern Roman Empire, prompting the revision of the Corpus Juris Civilis into Greek so it could remain usable as the basis of imperial law.

Image source: Medieval Greek

Greek replaces Latin as dominant language

Corpus Juris Civilis revised into Greek

600 - 700

When Greek became the predominant language of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Corpus Juris Civilis was revised into Greek. It continued to form the basis of the empire's laws through the 15th century, ensuring Roman law remained a living tradition in Byzantium.

Image source: Corpus Juris Civilis

Corpus Juris Civilis revised into Greek

Basilika begun by Basil the Macedonian

870

In the late 9th century, Emperor Basil the Macedonian began the Basilika (Greek: 'imperial laws'), a Greek-language compilation drawing on the Corpus Juris Civilis to serve as the empire's fundamental legal code.

Image source: Basilika

Basilika begun by Basil the Macedonian

Basilika finished by Leo the Wise

886 - 912

The Basilika was completed by Basil the Macedonian's son, emperor Leo the Wise, cementing the Corpus Juris Civilis' legacy as the foundation of Byzantine law through the end of the empire.

Zakonopravilo transplants Roman-Byzantine law

1219

The Zakonopravilo of 1219, one of the most important Serbian legal codes, transplanted Roman-Byzantine law drawn from the Corpus Juris Civilis, Procheiron, and Basilika into Serbian legal practice.

Image source: Zakonopravilo

Zakonopravilo transplants Roman-Byzantine law

Harmenopoulos completes Hexabiblos-style summary

1345

Constantine Harmenopoulos, a Byzantine judge from Thessaloniki, finally completed his summary of the law in 1345, condensing centuries of Roman-Byzantine jurisprudence into a practical handbook.

Image source: Constantine Harmenopoulos

Harmenopoulos completes Hexabiblos-style summary

Dušan's Code enacted

1349 - 1354

Dušan's Code, promulgated in 1349 and expanded in 1354, incorporated Roman-Byzantine law from the Corpus Juris Civilis, Procheiron, and Basilika, making it a cornerstone of Serbian medieval legislation.

Image source: Dušan's Code

Dušan's Code enacted

Serbian Despotate falls to the Ottomans

1459

With the fall of the Serbian Despotate to the Ottoman Empire in 1459, Serbian legal codes based on Roman-Byzantine law, which had been practised until then, ceased to be officially enforced.

Image source: Serbian Despotate

Serbian Despotate falls to the Ottomans

Serbian Civil Code adopts Byzantine legal traditions

1844

During the Serbian Revolution, Byzantine law was still in effect and was adopted in the Serbian Civil Code of 1844, which was modeled after Serbian customary law and the Austrian civil code.

Medieval Rediscovery

Epitome Codicis manuscript produced

1050

Around 1050, the Epitome Codicis, an incomplete manuscript preserving most of the Codex, circulated in Northern Italy and may have served as one of several manuscript sources for the text that began to be taught at Bologna.

Recovery of the Corpus in Northern Italy

1070

Historians disagree on the precise way the Corpus was recovered in Northern Italy around 1070. Aside from known manuscripts such as the Littera Florentina and the Epitome Codicis, other sources may have contributed to the revival of Roman legal studies.

Littera Florentina preserved in Amalfi

1070

The Littera Florentina, a complete 6th-century copy of the Digest, was preserved in Amalfi before later being moved to Pisa. It stands as one of the most important witnesses to the original text of Justinian's Digest.

Pepo teaches Roman law at Bologna

1070

Pepo was among the first teachers of the recovered Corpus Juris Civilis at Bologna, laying groundwork for the scholastic study of Roman law that would flourish in medieval Europe.

Image source: Cucurbita pepo

Pepo teaches Roman law at Bologna

Irnerius teaches the Digest at Bologna

1088 - 1125

Following Pepo, Irnerius taught the newly recovered texts of the Corpus at Bologna, becoming one of the founders of legal scholarship and establishing Bologna as the premier center for the study of Roman law.

Image source: Irnerius

Irnerius teaches the Digest at Bologna

Ultramontani continue Romanist tradition

1200 - 1300

In the 13th century, French lawyers known as the Ultramontani carried on the tradition of studying and glossing the Corpus Juris Civilis, spreading its influence beyond Italy across medieval Europe.

Modern Translations and Scholarship

Digest published in Paris with Agustín's translation

1549 - 1550

A two-volume edition of the Digest was published in Paris in 1549 and 1550, translated by Antonio Agustín, Bishop of Tarragona, who was well known for his other legal works, bringing Justinian's juristic writings to wider European audiences.

Title 'Corpus Juris Civilis' adopted in print

1583

Referring to Justinian's Code as the Corpus Juris Civilis was only adopted in the 16th century, when Dionysius Gothofredus printed the work under this title in 1583, giving the collection its enduring name.

Corpus translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish

1800 - 1900

During the 19th century, the Corpus Juris Civilis was translated into French, German, Italian, and Spanish, extending access to Roman law scholarship across Western Europe.

Scott publishes first complete English translation

1932

No English translation of the entire Corpus Juris Civilis existed until 1932, when Samuel Parsons Scott published his version The Civil Law, making the full body of Justinianic law available to English readers.

Image source: Samuel Parsons Scott

Scott publishes first complete English translation

New English translation of the Code published

Oct 2016

In October 2016, a new English translation of the Code, based on Blume's work, was published, providing a modern scholarly rendering of Justinian's codification.

Cambridge publishes English translation of the Novels

Jan 2018

In 2018, Cambridge University Press published a new English translation of the Novels, based primarily on the Greek text, completing modern English access to Justinian's legislative corpus.

Image source: Novellae Constitutiones

Cambridge publishes English translation of the Novels

Key Facts

  1. Emperor Justinian I ordered the compilation of all existing Roman imperial legislation in 528 CE.
  2. The first part of the Code, the Codex Constitutionum, was completed and published in 529 CE.
  3. The complete Corpus Juris Civilis includes four parts: the Codex (Code), the Digesta (Pandects), the Institutiones (Institutes), and the Novellae (Novels).
  4. Tribonian, a prominent jurist and minister, led the team of scholars responsible for compiling the code.
  5. The Justinian Code served as the foundation for many modern European civil law systems and remains influential in legal education today.

Source

This Justinian Code timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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