State administration in the reign of I. Justinian

The reign of Justinian I, known as Justinian the Great, represented an epoch in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire that deserves to be scrutinised. Through the analysis of primary sources, the study of historical contexts and participation in scholarly debates, this study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the Eastern Roman Empire and its enduring legacy by attempting to shed light on the political, administrative and religious details of Justinian I and his reign. The historical span of this study covers an era of significant historical changes and challenges in Eastern Rome. The Age of Justinian, a period in the Empire marked by territorial expansions, cultural encounters, religious-sectarian debates and intellectual achievements, covers the period of his reign from 527 to 565 AD. Characterised in the sources by ambitious efforts to restore the glory of the Roman Empire, revitalise legal systems, strengthen religious authority, build monumental architectural structures, and promote intellectual advances, the Age of Justinian also harbours the controversial claims of historians of the period. The differences in the historical perspective that names these transformative attempts, whether in contemporary historiography or in the historiography of the period, also reveal the distinctiveness of the Justinian age. This study seeks to answer several questions about Justinian I's nearly forty-year reign to enact comprehensive legal reforms, maintain or consolidate the authority of religion, build impressive architectural structures, and develop intellectual achievements. What were the political strategies employed by Justinian I to consolidate the power, maintain control and extend the influence of the Eastern Roman Empire? What were the state mechanisms used to sustain these strategies? How did Justinian I's legal reforms, especially the Corpus Juris Civilis, shape the legal systems of his time and the future? What were the religious policies and theological debates under Justinian and how did these debates shape the relationship between the emperor and the various religious groups within the Eastern Roman Empire? How did these policies shape the relationship between socio-political groups such as the Blues-Greens, especially the Orthodox Church, including alternative religious groups such as the Monophysites and Miaphysites? How did architectural projects initiated by Justinian I, such as the construction of Hagia Sophia, reflect the religious, cultural and political ideals of the period? In order to address these and similar research questions, this thesis considers a multifaceted bibliography that combines historical analysis, legal, religious, architectural and intellectual research. In the present studies, primary sources, including contemporary accounts such as Procopius' Secret History, Justinian's legal compilations, religious texts and architectural inscriptions, have served as the main evidence for understanding the period. Secondary sources, consisting of scholarly works, historical analyses and academic discourse, have provided critical views and interpretations of Justinian I's reign. Keywords: State administration, Justinian I, Eastern Roman Empire.