Justinian I’s Church Building by the Data of His Novels

The new publication carries on the study with theme of the Justinian’s I building activity. There is the legislative material of the period 535–546 selected as the research object. An analysis of data of the Justinianic novels and edicts displays some interesting things, which do partly correct a certain modern notions of this object. At the same time, the legislative data corroborated the known from other sources fact of intensive church building under Justinian the Great. The well-known prevailing role of the private builder in the same time did receive the supplementary confirmation as well. But Justinian I was not a big private builder of churches, as the literary historical sources try to demonstrate. This emperor is mentioned in his novels in connection with the building of monasteries. It’s scholar knowledge that Justinian was working out the standards in the sphere of the religious building. However, full regulation of the building process didn’t take place under his rule: just separate norms have arisen then, which concerned mainly the proprietors’ rights and duties, and as well indirectly as the volume of church building. Consequently, Justinian the Emperor did not only build many religious edifices, but limited private building too. Finally, the aforesaid witnesses that he didn’t have any program of church building in the Empire, and he didn’t waste state financial means for its realization.