In 535 stuurde keizer Justinianus zijn favoriete generaal Belisarius om de voormalig Romeinse gebieden in Italië te heroveren. Het lukte Belisarius met een opvallend klein leger om grote successen...Show moreIn 535 stuurde keizer Justinianus zijn favoriete generaal Belisarius om de voormalig Romeinse gebieden in Italië te heroveren. Het lukte Belisarius met een opvallend klein leger om grote successen te behalen en uiteindelijk heel Italië weer onder Romeins gezag te krijgen. In deze scriptie wordt de campagne van Belisarius geanalyseerd aan de hand van de werken van Procopius om zo het militaire succes van deze veroveringen te verklaren.Show less
Emperor Justinian (r.527 to 565) was one of the most famous and infamous emperors of Late Antiquity. One of his most remarkable qualities had been his legislative fervour. Early on, he had...Show moreEmperor Justinian (r.527 to 565) was one of the most famous and infamous emperors of Late Antiquity. One of his most remarkable qualities had been his legislative fervour. Early on, he had completed what would later be called the Corpus Iuris Civilis, incorporating the Codex, the Digesta and the Institutiones. However, in the wake of this Corpus, his reign produced another 155 ‘new laws’ that have not yet received the scholarly attention they deserve. This thesis has taken these Novellae seriously as a corpus of its own and has explored how we should understand this multitude of laws in their socio-political context and how these innovations were anchored in a sixth-century worldview. The Novellae performed a multi-layered balancing act between tradition and innovation, subject and emperor, and being shaped by and shaping society. However, these laws singled out one person whose presence invaded every corner of the text: the emperor. He was ruler of the eternal Roman Empire and Christian father of the people. In the end, he knew what was best.Show less
