Novellae Constitutiones

[1] Justinian’s first Code, issued in 529, compiled and harmonized the imperial enactments (constitutiones, or constitutions) of previous emperors.

[3] This meant the Code could no longer be the sole, unified source of imperial legislation.

Hence, in 534 Justinian issued the Constitutio cordi nobis,[4] creating a second edition of the Code (Codex repetitae praelectionis).

Thus, in his pragmatic sanction of 554 (Sanctio pragmatica pro petitione Vigilii),[5] he foresaw that he would need to maintain a collection of these new constitutions modifying the Code (novellae constitutiones, quae post nostri codicis confectionem).

[6] While Justinian never made an official manuscript compilation of the new laws, private persons filled this void by making unofficial collections in several forms.