Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What were the four parts of the Code of Justinian?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Justinian I
Justinian I, detail of a mosaic in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy.
The Code of Justinian, also known as the Corpus Juris Civilis, consists of four primary parts developed under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I between 529 and 565 CE:12
- Codex Constitutionum: A collection of imperial ordinances or "constitutions." The original version was promulgated in 529, and a revised edition was issued in 534.12
- Digesta (or Pandectae): Published in 533, this work consists of 50 books containing extracts from the writings of authorized Roman jurists, organized to clarify and simplify legal principles.12
- Institutiones: Also published in 533, this served as an elementary textbook or outline of legal institutions intended for first-year law students.12
- Novellae Constitutiones Post Codicem (the Novels): A collection of new ordinances issued by Justinian himself between 534 and 565, following the publication of the revised Codex.12