On the question of the representation of the authority of Justinian I the Great: (according to written sources)

Abstract

The article examines how the sense of legitimacy of the political system — referred to in the sources as πολιτεία or res publica — was maintained in the Eastern Roman Empire during the reign of Justinian I the Great (527565). The features and actions associated with Justinian I are well described in various written and non-written sources. According to those sources, persona of the Emperor was at the center of this representational policy. It became the symbol, personification and the guarantor of the existence of the πολιτεία or res publica for the Eastern Romans. The existence of such an agreement between the general public and the rulers of the early medieval Empire led to the legitimization of power. During the research process various sources were studied, beginning with the openly panegyric works that glorified the genius of the Emperor, such as the “De aedificiis” of Procopius of Caesarea or the speeches of Choricius, to pamphlets in the form of the “Secret history” of the same Procopius. Using comparative analysis and discourse analysis of written sources, the author identified the principal mechanisms that implemented the main goal of power representation, which ensured the effect of the presence of the political “center” embodied in the Emperor’s figure, his involvement in the internal affairs of the provinces, border territories and neighboring sociopolitical entities.