Title: Codex Justinianus. Substantial Fragment from Italy, Circa 1300
Author: Emperor Justinian I
Condition: Very Good
Two substantial early 14th century gatherings from the Codex Justinianus, written in Latin, also known as The Code of Justinian, one of the foundational texts of the Western legal tradition. The Code is a collection of fundamental works in jurisprudence, issued from 529 to 534 by order of Justinian I, Byzantine Emperor. Consisting of three main parts, the Code was meant to be the sole source of law in the Byzantine Empire, making reference to any other sources forbidden, although Justinian later found himself enacting more laws, culminating in a fourth part of the Code. The Codex became the foundation of the larger Corpus Juris Civilis, becoming the foundation for the study of Roman law, and heavily influencing the canon law of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages.
There are two gatherings of 12 leaves each, from two different manuscripts of the Codex.
The first gathering is written in a 40-line format and is blind-ruled, the text encompassing Books Two to Three of the Codex, or more specifically; CJ.2.53.1: Imperator Antoninus, to CJ.3.24.3pr.: Imperator Zeno. The text starts from ‘[...] integro defensionibus tuis utaris’, to ‘libellensibus sollemnia implentibus’. This gathering is heavily glossed and annotated in at least two early medieval hands, with a manicule to f. 5, with rubrics, initials, headers, and paraphs in red.
The second gathering is written in a 53-line format, also blind-ruled, with the text encompassing a significant section of Book Six of the Codex, or more specifically; CJ.6.22.8pr.: Imperator Justinus, to CJ.6.37.23pr. The text starts from ‘[...]quicquam ambiguitatis pariat’ to ‘cornelianum vel alium quendam [...]. This gathering also has a few glosses and annotations, with manicules and doodles to f. 14.
These manuscripts have been acquired from the Colker Collection, which was previously acquired in 1974 from Maggs Brothers.
Two gatherings of 12 leaves each on vellum in folio, the first gathering 28.9 x 21.3 cm, the second gathering 29.4 x 21.2 cm. 24 leaves total
These manuscripts are in very good shape, with the leaves hole-punched to the inner margins, and some creasing to the leaves. There is some soiling, with some of the text faded. The glosses to the first gathering are difficult to read, and the lower blank margin of the ninth leaf to the first gathering has been cropped. Some of the text is obscured.