Legal Definitions - emblemata Triboniani

Definition: Emblemata Triboniani refers to alterations, modifications, and additions made to the writings of older jurists in Roman law. These changes were combined to form the Digest or Pandects and are generally known as interpolations. Justinian appointed a commission led by Tribonian to harmonize contradictions, delete obsolete matter, and bring the law up to date.

Example: The changes made to the Digest or Pandects by the commission appointed by Justinian are examples of Emblemata Triboniani. The commission made editorial changes such as insertions, deletions, and juxtapositions in the texts, but made few real changes to the substantive law.

This term is considered old-fashioned by modern Romanists.

Related term:Interpolation refers to the act of inserting words into a document to change or clarify the meaning. In a negative sense, interpolation can refer to putting extraneous or false words into a document to change its meaning. In Roman law, an editorial change made by one of the compilers of the Digests and the Justinian Code is also known as an interpolation.