Justinian; Henry Scrimger, ed. AUTOKRATORON, IOUSTINIANOU, IOUSTINOU, LEONTOS NEARAI DIATAXEIS; IOUSTINIANOU EDIKTA. IMPP. IUSTINIANI, IUSTINI, LEONIS NOUELLAE CONSTITUTIONES. IUSTINIANI EDICTA. [Geneva]: Exudebat Henricus Stephanus Huldrici Fuggeri typographus [Henri Estienne], 1558. Gilt-stamped leather boards, re-backed in stamped calf with raised bands and gilt-titled black morocco label, with fresh endpapers. Folio; **10 A-2K8 2L4; [20], 529. [7]pp. Title page in Greek and Latin, main text in Greek. With Estienne device on title page, occasional printed marginalia, and decorated initials. Hoffmann 2/500; Adams 682.

13 5/8 x 9 3/8 in.

Emperor Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire from 527 until 565CE. A well-known advocate for the re-building of Hagia Sophia in today's Istanbul, he also dreamed of re-establishing the former glory of the Roman Empire. In order to better rule his large empire, he revamped the legal system, of which Novellae Constitutiones is one of four parts. This edition was edited by Henry Scrimger (or Scrimgeour), a Scottish law professor in Geneva, and printed by the important French printer Henri Estienne.

A very good copy; boards with age wear and edgewear, areas of dry cracking and staining to leather, (2) wormholes and areas of repair; paste-downs with minor stains, writing on free endpaper; interior with light toning, light scattered foxing, frequent damp staining at margins (mostly upper margin and lower corner), wormholes in lower margin, and occasional small area of grime, with pages overall quite clean and crisp.