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Legatus Legionis

Question About Constantinople

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I was reading in Gibbon that when Constantine founded his new capital that he dignified the city council with the title of senate. Did this senate hold any form of authority outside the city? Did they contribute at all to the governing of the provinces? Did this senate appoint any consuls?

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I think that the emperor appointed the consuls. I think that the Byzantine consulships were either filled by the emperor and a member of his family, like his son, two prominent senators, or a prominent military commander, as in the case of Belisarius.

 

(This topic is good, but it needs to be moved to the post-Roman section)

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Correct me if i'm wrong as its been over a year since i studied this, but didnt constantine bestow certain powers on officals from Constantinople, that the rest of the western empire would not accept or acknowledge for some time?

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Correct me if i'm wrong as its been over a year since i studied this, but didnt constantine bestow certain powers on officals from Constantinople, that the rest of the western empire would not accept or acknowledge for some time?

 

He did, and I don't think the West disproved this (or could really do anything about it), but at first, he was careful not to step on the toes of the old aristocracy at Rome. For example, the senators at Constantinople only had the rank of clari, not clarissimi like the senators in Rome. But as time went on, the power shift from East to West became natural and accepted by all.

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