G. Rouillé - Giustiniano - Codex Iustiniani - 1571

Codex Iustiniani
(Corpus Iuris Civilis – Codex repetitae praelectionis)
Lugduni, Apud Gulielmum Rouillium (Guillaume Rouillé), 1571.

12,3 × 8,5 cm (little 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 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 ornaments characteristic of the Lyonese editions of the sixteenth century. The copy presents an old parchment binding, with the title handwritten on the spine.

A fundamental work of Roman law, the Codex Iustiniani (promulgated by Justinian between 529-534 AD) represents the greatest 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 presses, makes the text accessible with scholarly apparatus, facilitating study in the Renaissance and modern eras. It is one of the pillars of the Corpus Iuris Civilis, a cornerstone of Western law alongside the Institutiones, the Digesta and the Novellae.

Rare edition by the celebrated Lyonese printer Guillaume Rouillé, specializing 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 editions (only Libri I-II) and in this state of conservation. It is a precious witness to the spread of Roman law in 16th‑century Europe, sought after by collectors of ancient legal books, incunabula and sixteenths, and institutions specialized in the history of law.

Typical signs of use for a 1500s volume, old paper with normal browning, but overall good for its time, with all indicated pages present.

Excellent piece for auctions of Renaissance legal and bookish antiquities.