Codex Justinianeus

13 February 528, a letter to the Senate

At Constantinople on 13 February 528, Justinian issued the constitution Haec quae necessario to the Senate, commissioning a new codex of imperial constitutions.

The commission was instructed to draw from the Gregorian, Hermogenian and Theodosian Codes, and from constitutions issued after them — including Justinian's own enactments.

Ten commissioners were named: John, Leontius, Phocas, Basilides, Thomas, Tribonian, Constantinus, Theophilus, Dioscorus and Praesentinus.

Licensed to edit

They were authorized to remove obsolete, repetitive or contradictory material; to add, delete or change words; to merge provisions; and to arrange the surviving enactments under appropriate titles.

Justinian stated the point in practical terms: a single clear collection for use in court, so that litigation would be shorter.

Not yet Tribonian's project, not yet the Corpus

Tribonian was one of ten here, not the director. The senior commissioner John is conventionally identified as John the Cappadocian and treated by modern accounts as head of this first Code commission.

The mandate covered the leges — the imperial constitutions — not the classical jurists' writings later assembled as the Digest, which was a separate and later undertaking.

The first Code was published on 7 April 529. It was itself replaced by the revised Code of 534 and has not survived independently.