G. Rouillé - Giustiniano - Codex Iustiniani - 1571

Codex Iustiniani
(Corpus Iuris Civilis – Codex repetitae praelectionis)
Lyon, At Guillaume Rouillé, 1571.

12.3 × 8.5 cm (small 8vo or pocket size).
Pp. (16), 784 pp.

Only the first two books of the Codex Iustiniani (Libri I-II of the Codex repetitae praelectionis), (as shown in the last photo) with imperial constitutions, notes, summaries and critical apparatus in Latin (with references to Greek texts). Includes typographic decorations, woodcut initials and emblems characteristic of the Lyon editions of the sixteenth century. The copy presents an old vellum binding, with the title handwritten on the spine.

A fundamental work of Roman law, the Codex Iustiniani (promulgated by Justinian in 529-534 A.D.) represents the greatest systematic compilation of Roman imperial laws, which formed the basis of continental civil law in Europe for centuries. This sixteenth-century edition, curated within Rouillé’s humanist printings, makes the text accessible with erudite apparatus, facilitating study in the Renaissance and modern era. It is one of the pillars of the Corpus Iuris Civilis, a cornerstone of Western law alongside the Institutes, Digest and Novels.

Rare edition of the famous Lyon printer Guillaume Rouillé, specialized in classical and legal texts in a compact format for scholars and professionals. The sixteenth-century editions of the Codex in small format are uncommon on the market, especially partial (only Libri I-II) and in this state of preservation. It is a valuable witness to the diffusion of Roman law in sixteenth-century Europe, sought after by collectors of old legal books, incunabula and sixteenths, and by institutions specializing in the history of law.

Typical signs of use for a volume from the 16th century, old papers with normal browning, but overall good for the period, with all pages indicated present.

Excellent piece for auctions of Renaissance legal and bibliophile antiquities.