Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Happy Birthday dear Codex

Forgive me blogosphere for I have sinned, it has been three weeks since my last blog, no, wait, my last independent thought.

Today marks the anniversary of the publication of the Codex Justinianus (7 April 529), Justinian's first project in the compilation of the Corpus Iuris Civilis*. Simply put, the Codex was a compilation of the constitutiones (the pronouncements of the Emperors, similar to statutes).

According to Nicoholas (An Introduction to Roman Law, 44) 'Justinian's importance lies in his having succeeded, at a moment when the ancient world was dissolving, in collecting together, in a form which could survive, the literature of the Roman law.'

To this day the Corpus Iuris Civilis is a direct source of South African law.

I realised today why Justinian was so prolific when it came to his codification endeavours. He was a crap soldier.

*The Corpus Iuris Civilis later included the Digesta, the Institutiones and the Novellae.

2 comments:

  1. 'Have you touched the Digest? You really should touch the digest' -Robin Evans Jones

    You should have said it has been 3 weeks since my last blogfession:)

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  2. Every morning I wake up and thank my lucky stars he didn't say 'touch MY digest'. He would have, if he brought his with him.

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