The Novellae Constitutiones or Justinian's Novels are now considered one of the four major units of Roman law initiated by Roman emperor Justinian I (482-565). The other three pieces are: the Codex Justinianus, the Digest, and the Institutes. Together, the four parts are known as the Corpus Juris Civilis. Whereas the Codex, Digest, and Institutes were designed by Justinian as coherent works, the Novels are diverse laws enacted after 534 that never were officially compiled during his reign. While Justinian I never made an official manuscript compilation of the new laws, private persons filled this void by making unofficial collections in several forms.
