Your Highness is aware how many legislators have, each one in a single volume, written on the mandates of the Emperors in the ancient books which enclose the laws of the Roman name. Therefore We, who have re-established the already perishing and diminished respect accorded to legislation, have determined not only to commission magistrates appointed to inferior and intermediate administrations of no matter what description, whether of judicial, consular, or higher rank, but, in addition to this, to lay down certain rules in conformity with which they can exercise their official functions in a praiseworthy manner. Hence We have composed a book of instructions, which, written in both languages, is appended to the present law. It is issued in both Greek and Latin, and addressed to Our officials in the language spoken in the countries where they perform their duties, in order that they may become familiar with their obligations; and they must not neglect to comply with the salutary rules which We have promulgated, but must employ them to govern Our provinces and the subjects of Our Empire. Your Illustrious Authority, being charged with the quaestorial censorship, will order these instructions to be recorded in the book of laws, and deposited in the Imperial archives, so that when officials receive them with their commissions, they may not be ignorant of how they can render themselves useful to the government.
   
  Given on the sixteenth of the Kalends of May, after the Consulship of Belisarius
   
  In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ Our God, the Emperor Ciesar, Flavins, Justinian, Alananicus, Gothicus, Francicus, Germanicus, Anticus, Alanicus, Vandalicus, Africanus, Pious, Fortunate, Glorious, Victor, Triumpher, Always Adorable and Augustus.
   
  Although We have already stated in a law the manner in which those who are appointed to office should conduct themselves in the discharge of their duties, and have prescribed the oath to be taken by them, still, We deem it necessary to act with reference to you in the same manner as Our predecessors were accustomed to do, under the same circumstances, who issued certain rules called Imperial Mandates, directed to magistrates when assuming their offices, and which the latter were obliged to comply with.

  As you have received your office without any expense to yourself, your administration should, above all, be pure in the eyes of God, of Ourself, and of the law; you must not attempt to profit by it to any extent, either great or small; you will not engage in any transaction injurious to Our subjects; you will remain content with the compensation given you by the Treasury; and, together with Your subordinates, You will observe the rules of law in every respect. In the first place, You must vigilantly require the payment of the fiscal tributes; you must use every effort to insure the payment of all demands due to the Treasury; and You shall preserve at all times everything belonging to it; for as We come to the relief of private individuals who are suffering injustice, We also desire that the interests of the public may remain uninjured. Hence citizens must be kept free from all oppression, in order that they may easily and promptly pay their taxes; and if those who have been guilty of fraud, and still remain indebted to the Treasury, from this time forward discharge their obligations, they shall be released from liability.

  Next, it is proper for you to see that the people do not foment sedition against one another, and that peace is preserved in all the cities given Us by God; while justice is dispensed from here to Our subjects, and Our conduct toward them is not, under any circumstances, determined either by the desire of gain, or by passion.

  In the third place, you will endeavor to be mindful of equity in rendering Your judicial decisions, and summarily dispose of all cases of inferior importance, especially where the parties are of low degree; nor shall the proceedings in such cases be reduced to writing. You will avoid all unnecessary arguments, and only in a controversy where the property in litigation is under the value established by Our laws shall you permit the parties litigant to pay the costs provided they are able to do so. Moreover, you will hear and determine all causes gratuitously; you will use every effort to prevent anyone from coming from a province to this city and annoying Us with his complaints. For you are hereby notified that We shall examine anyone who makes an appeal of this kind, and if after he has applied to Us We should ascertain that he has been refused justice, Our indignation will be directed toward you. But if he presumes to come to this Imperial City without having previously appeared before You, We shall punish him, and send him back without giving him an answer.

  In the next place, it will be your duty not to allow any officials despatched by Us, or by any other magistrate or court, to oppress Our subjects, or extort from them anything more than is due. Where any requisition of this kind is made, and a complaint is filed, you must obtain indemnity for the person injured, and not permit anyone acting under orders of any court whatsoever, which have reference to the repair of aqueducts, harbors, highways, statues and walls, as well as the demolition of houses that have been erected in public places, or other similar matters, to do anything to the detriment of Our subjects, for We do not wish them to suffer loss under such circumstances. You will see that everything is done without injury, in all cases of this kind. If anyone who has been directed to carry out such orders should come into your jurisdiction, you must by no means receive him, unless he is the bearer of a written Imperial pragmatic sanction, and even then, although you may acknowledge it, you must not permit it to be executed before having notified Us, and obtained a second order to the same effect.
  (1) You will also maintain the public works of cities in good condition, and obtain for the municipal magistrates the money necessary to repair buildings, bridges, highways, harbors, and other public works of the province in your jurisdiction; you will take good care of the ports and walls; and you will by all means give attention to, and cause to be performed, all labor beneficial to the people and advantageous to the towns.
  (2) The soldiers stationed in your province shall be subject to your orders, whenever you have need of them to enforce your decrees. If you should find them disobedient, you can inflict on them a suitable penalty, and will cause the inhabitants of provinces who have been injured by their acts to be properly indemnified.

  We absolutely forbid Governors to send deputies into the towns of the provinces under their jurisdiction, even though these deputies belong to the most distinguished classes of the nobility. Nor shall you permit any soldiers who may accompany you in your journeys to have their expenses defrayed, for We desire them to pay them out of their own salaries. If, indeed, they should not do this, but should take their expenses out of the taxes, and require horses to be furnished them, Our subjects must be indemnified, and you will see that the sums expended are deducted from the pay of the soldiers at your own risk.

  We have ascertained that unjust protection is granted in Our provinces, and wishing to correct this in every respect, We forbid any person to assume the conduct of another's lawsuit, or to charge himself with contesting the title to property to which he has no right, or of promising to defend anyone to the prejudice of others, or with detriment to the Treasury. You will not permit persons to act for the owners of property in this way, for both the law and the Imperial favor should be sufficient to enable you to exert all the authority requisite.

  If you obey Our orders, you will exercise the functions of the office with which We have invested you with more glory and for a longer time; above all, if you were careful not to allow anyone, who is not a soldier, to make use of weapons. If you do this, you will render yourself very dear to God, to the laws, and to Us. Again, if any person attempting to stir up sedition should, at any time, leave this great city either alone, or in the company of others, and repair to the province which you govern, you must make diligent inquiry concerning him, ascertain the place of his residence, and inform Us of the same, in order that if investigation of his conduct should be necessary, he can be brought to this Most Fortunate City, and undergo the penalty which the law has prescribed in such cases.

  Given at Constantinople, on the sixteenth of the Kalends of May, during the Consulate of Belisarius, 535.