G. Rouillé - Giustiniano - Codex Iustiniani - 1571

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

12.3 × 8.5 cm (small octavo or pocket format). Pp. (16), 784 pp.
Only the first two books of the Codex Iustinianus (Books I-II of the Codex repetitae praelectionis), (as per the last photo) with imperial constitutions, notes, summaries and critical apparatus in Latin (with references to Greek texts). Includes typographic decorations, woodcut initials and headings characteristic of the Lyon editions of the sixteenth century. The copy presents an ancient vellum binding, with title handwritten on the spine.

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

Rare edition by the famous Lyon printer Guillaume Rouillé, specialized in classical and legal texts of portable format for scholars and professionals. The sixteenth-century editions of the Codex in a small format are uncommon on the market, especially partial (only Books I-II) and in this state of preservation. It is a valuable witness to the diffusion of Roman law in 16th century Europe, sought after by collectors of ancient legal books, incunabula and sixteenths, and by specialized institutions in the history of law.

Signs of use typical of a 16th‑century volume, of old paper with normal browning, but overall good for the period, with all pages indicated present.

Excellent piece for antique law and Renaissance book auctions.