pandectae, in jurisprudence, the digest or collection, made by Justinian's order, of 534 decisions or judgments of the ancient lawyers, on so many questions occurring in the civil law; to which that emperor gave the force and authority of law, by the epistle prefixed to them.—The word is Greek, πανδέκτης, compounded of πάντα "all," and δέκω "to take;" i.e., a compilation, or a book containing all things.—Though others, as Bartoli, will have it formed from πάντα, and δέκω; as if these books contained the whole doctrine of the law.

The pandects consist of 50 books, and make the first part of the body of the civil law.

They were denoted by two πάντα; but the copists taking those πάντα for πάντα, the custom arose of quoting them by πάντα.

In the year 1137, the pandects of Justinian, which had been brought by an Amalfitan merchant from the east, fell into the hands of the Pisans. Angelus Politianus believes this copy to be that which had been compiled by order of the emperor. However that be, it is certain that all other copies are taken from it, as being the most ancient. The Pisans having obtained their request from the emperor, carried the volumes to Pisa, and for near three centuries they were known by the name of the Pandecta Pisana. But, about the year 1416, Pisa being taken by the Florentines, they were transported from thence to Florence, where they are now preserved in the library of the Medici, and known by the name of the Pandecta Florentina. Some authors allege, that Lotharius ordained by an edict, that the Pandects should be publicly read and explained at Bologna, and pleaded in the tribunals; but Corringius and Lindenbrogius fully refute their opinion.

Papias extends the denomination of Pandects to the Old and New Testament.

There are also Pandecta Medicinae, "Pandects of Medicine;" a kind of dictionary of things relating to medicine, compiled by Mat. Sylvaticus of Mantua, who lived about the year 1297. Leucelavius has published Pandects of Turkey; and bishop Beveridge, Pandecta canonum.