Tribonian or Tribonianos (Τριβωνιανός [trivonia'nos], c. 500–547) was a jurist during the reign of the Emperor Justinian I, who revised the legal code of the Roman Empire.[1]
Tribonian was born in Pamphylia around the year 500. He became a successful lawyer in Constantinople, and was appointed by Justinian in 528 as one of the commissioners to prepare the new imperial legal code, the Corpus Juris Civilis, released in 529. In 530 he became quaestor sacri palatii, and the chief editor of the compilation of the old Roman lawyers writings (Digesta or Pandecta, meaning Digest or Collection), which in total were much larger than the code itself.
The brief version of the new code, Codex repetitae praelectionis, containing the most relevant and useful parts of the selection of imperial constitutions, was released in 533. While this was being completed the participants in the Nika riots of 532 called for his removal because of his alleged corruption. He was temporarily removed by Justinian until the riots were crushed. In 534 the full Codex Justinianus was released, along with a series of new laws created by Justinian to reflect contemporary needs (the Novellae). His life is recounted in the writings of Procopius.