Justinian Code

SLMS/10
Justinian Code Justinian Code Justinian Code Justinian Code

The Justinian Code was the name given to
the compilation, or codification, of all Ro-
man laws as directed by Emperor Justinian.
A committee of ten men was ordered to re-
view more than 1,600 books
of Roman laws and re-
organize and simplify the
law. The result was 4 vol-
umes with just over 4,000
laws.
Four Volumes of the Code Four Volumes of the Code Four Volumes of the Code Four Volumes of the Code

Volume One: Volume One: Volume One: Volume One: Codex Justinianus Codex Justinianus Codex Justinianus Codex Justinianus
-This was the bulk of the legal code. It
simplified and re-organized all previous Ro-
man law codes, and included recently
passed Justinian laws.
-These laws defined both public and pri-
vate law on issues of: citizenship, marriage
rights, rights of inheritance, slavery, prop-
erty ownership as well as criminal acts and
punishments.
Volume Two: Volume Two: Volume Two: Volume Two: Digesta Digesta Digesta Digesta
-This was a collection of legal rulings and
opinions interpretations of the law. It
might be most similar to a collection of legal
rulings and briefs by the Supreme Court.
Volume Three: Volume Three: Volume Three: Volume Three: Institutiones Institutiones Institutiones Institutiones
-This was a textbook that would be used
and studied primarily by law students. It
had four books, and the last book was an
instruction manual for jurors.
Volume Four: Volume Four: Volume Four: Volume Four: Novellae Novellae Novellae Novellae
-This volume was for new laws passed af-
ter the completion of the Code in 534.
Notable aspects of Justinians Code Notable aspects of Justinians Code Notable aspects of Justinians Code Notable aspects of Justinians Code

The code make clear that there was no
separation of Church and State. Orthodoxy
was the state religion, and anyone who did
not embrace it was not considered a citizen.
There were distinctively
anti-Semitic laws, forbidding
Jews from holding public of-
fice or testifying against
Christians.
Slaves were in the power of their masters,
and had no property rights. But masters
could not simply abuse or kill their slaves
without legal ramifications.
The code specifies the exact requirements
for marriage. (Cousins are allowed to marry,
but brothers and sisters, even step-brothers
and step-sisters, are not.)
The code also details property rights. For
the most part, finders keepers as long as
the property was discovered on neutral
ground. The other determinant to ownership
was land. Whoever owned the land, also
owned the structures on the land. So if
someone build a house on your land, you
would be deemed the owner of the house!
Impact Impact Impact Impact

The Code had limited influence over west-
ern Europe, at least initially. The split be-
tween east and west was dramatic, but
eventually, during the Middle Ages, Byzan-
tine learning began to make its way into It-
aly where the code was taught in Medieval
universities.
The Justinian Code also had a significant
impact on the Islamic areas of
the Middle East, as it influenced
the development of Muslim law
in the Sharia.
1. What was the Justinian Code?





2. How big was the committee? How many
laws did they review? Result?








3. List & Explain the four parts of the Justin-
ian Code.
4. What are the codes laws regarding relig-
ion?







5. What are the codes laws regarding slav-
ery?







6. Codes laws regarding property ownership
& land?








7. Impact of the code:

a. Europe --





b. Middle East --
Global History Name _____________________________________
Justinian Code
1.

2.

3.

4.

Historical Impact
SLMS/10
Longevity Longevity Longevity Longevity

Above all things, the Byzantine Empire
lasted more than 1,000 years, which put it
in rarefied historical air (along with the Ro-
man Empire and the Zhou Dynasty).
It was a stabilizing force in the Mediterra-
nean area after the fall of Rome.
And, until the rise of Islam and
the Muslim Caliphates, it had
the worlds largest economy.
Cultural Diffusion Cultural Diffusion Cultural Diffusion Cultural Diffusion

The Byzantine Empire traded quite a bit
with Kievan Russia between 800 and 1100.
Thus, Byzantine culture and religion were
spread into Russia and Eastern Europe.
Two missionaries, Cyril and Methodius
made their way to Central and Eastern
Europe bringing Christianity to the Slavic
and Russian peoples there.
They discovered that the people had no
written language, and thus, could not read
or translate the Bible. Cyril created
an alphabet which has come to be
known as Cyrillic, and is the alphabet
used by Russian and Slavic peoples.
Thus the Russian, Ukrainian
and Greek Orthodox Churches
are directly descended from
the Byzantine Empires Eastern
Orthodoxy.
Preservation of Greece & Rome Preservation of Greece & Rome Preservation of Greece & Rome Preservation of Greece & Rome

The Justinian Code carved out a major por-
tion of the Byzantine Empires worldwide
legacy by preserving Roman law.
Most important of the Byzan-
tine legacies was the preserva-
tion of Greek and Roman learn-
ing. The Byzantine Empire was
the rightful heir of Greek and
Roman learning as they were
originally a Greek colony
usurped by the Roman Empire.
This knowledge was passed to the Muslim
Caliphates (the Middle East) through trade
and other contacts. The Arabs used it and
developed more advanced mathematical
and scientific theories.
Most importantly, the Byzantine Empire
preserved the knowledge while warfare and
chaos reigned in Western Europe. Most of
the learning was lost to the West during the
Dark Ages. The West was not prepared to
have it back until the late Middle Ages,
when they had contact with the Byzantine
Empire through the Crusades.
In some sense, the Byzantine Empire pro-
vided the bridge from the Roman Empire to
the Renaissance in Western Europe.
Byzantium, the Buffer Byzantium, the Buffer Byzantium, the Buffer Byzantium, the Buffer

The Byzantine Empire also provided a
physical buffer between east and west.
Western Europe had tribal difficulties of its
own following the fall of Rome, but the Byz-
antine Empire protected it
from the tribes and powerful
states of the East the Per-
sians, Arabs, Seljuk Turks &
Ottoman Turks.
Byzantium as a buffer also limited Middle
Eastern trade and cultural influence in
Western Europe. This, along with the reli-
gious split that differentiated the two, helps
explain the cultural differences between
Eastern & Western Europe.
Ultimately, as the Empire shrunk, Middle
Eastern influence made its way into Europe.
1. How long did the Byzantine Empire last?




2. What was its economic/political signifi-
cance during that time?









3. How did Byzantine culture make its way
into Russia? (2 ways)









4. Who were Cyril & Methodius? What did
they do?






5. Why was the Byzantine Empire the right-
ful heir of the legacy of Greece & Rome?




6. How, and to whom did the Byzantine Em-
pire pass the knowledge of Greece & Rome?





7. How did the Arabs use this knowledge?





8. Why was it important that the Byzantine
Empire preserve the learning of Western
Europe?




9. When and How did this learning return to
Western Europe?





10. How did it act as a buffer for Western
Europe?







11. What was the impact of this role?
Global History Name _____________________________________
Historical Impact