Legislation related to military veterans during the reign of Constantine I (306-337). Political, social and administrative notes

Authors

  • Alex Corona Encinas Universidad de Navarra, ICS, Cátedra Álvaro d'Ors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v10i21.725

Keywords:

Constantine I, Late Roman Army, Army veterans, Codex Theodosianus, Roman administration

Abstract

This study addresses the development of the army veterans in the legislation enacted during the reign of emperor Constantine I (306-337). Despite the extensive discussion by the specialists regarding Constantine and the military sphere, a relative lack of studies on the veterans from an administrative and legal point of view in that period can be perceived. Therefore, the analysis of the imperial constitutions found in the Codex Theodosianus and, in some cases, included in the Corpus Iuris Civilis, might be a useful resource to verify the special consideration given to the veteranus, a term which should be understood from a sociopolitical scope. In this regard, building mainly from the legal sources compiled in the title 7.20 («De veteranis») of the Theodosian Code, as well as numerous secondary sources, a systematization of the privileges granted to the veterans in the legal texts of Constantine is proposed. On this basis, those benefits can be classified according to their distinctive features (political and administrative concessions, benefits oriented to the establishment and development of a professional activity and, lastly, tax exemptions). At the same time, we examine the constitution CTh 7.20.2, a disposition which is an example of great value for the study of the political (and, even, propagandistic) use of law by the structures of power. More specifically, through the exegesis of the aforementioned text, we consider the relevance of the military veterans and their role in the imperial ideology of Constantine I.

Ultimately, our aim is to systematize and contextualize the pieces of legislation which can be relevant for our analysis, in order to articulate a complete view of the veterans and their depiction in the administrative praxis of the period, which could endorse the thesis of a defined and privileged social stratum.

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Author Biography

  • Alex Corona Encinas, Universidad de Navarra, ICS, Cátedra Álvaro d'Ors

    Álex Corona Encinas es Doctor en Derecho romano por la Universidad de Valladolid. En la actualidad ejerce como investigador postdoctoral en la Cátedra Álvaro d’Ors del Instituto Cultura y Sociedad (ICS), centro de investigación adscrito a la Universidad de Navarra. Sus principales líneas de investigación son diversas e incluyen el Derecho público tardorromano y protobizantino, la administración militar tardorromana y el pensamiento político romano y su recepción moderna (especialmente, en el contexto de la Ilustración estadounidense y los Founding Fathers). Durante las primeras etapas de su trayectoria investigadora, ha realizado varias publicaciones en revistas especializadas bajo el modelo de revisión por pares en las que ha abordado aspectos como la reforma de los mandos militares durante el gobierno del emperador Galieno o la administración y organización de las flotas fluviales en el Danubio oriental en época tardía. Asimismo, ha presentado numerosas comunicaciones en congresos nacionales e internacionales y ha sido investigador visitante en el Leopold-Wenger-Institut für Rechtsgeschichte (Múnich, Alemania), Uniwersytet Jagielloński (Cracovia, Polonia) y, actualmente, en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

References

Fuentes primarias

Theodor MOMMSEN y Paul M. MEYER (eds.): Codex Theodosianus, Leges Novellae (3 vols.), Zúrich, Weidmann, 1971.

Theodor MOMMSEN et al. (eds.): Corpus Iuris Civilis (3 vols.), Berlín, Weidmann, 1954.

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Clyde PHARR (ed.): The Theodosian Code and Novels and the Sirmondian Constitutions, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1952.

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Mela ALBANA: “Costantino e i veterani. Osservazioni in margine a CTh 7, 20, 2”, en Lietta DE SALVO et al. (eds.), Fra Costantino e i Vandali: atti del Convegno internazionale di studi per Enzo Aiello (1957-2013) (Messina, 29-30 ottobre 2014), Bari, Edipuglia, 2016, pp. 479-497.

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Published

2022-01-24

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 21 (2021): Disciplined bodies at the service of the nation, 1890-1940: military sport and history

Section

Estudios

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Copyright (c) 2022 Alex Corona Encinas

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How to Cite

Legislation related to military veterans during the reign of Constantine I (306-337). Political, social and administrative notes. (2022). Revista Universitaria De Historia Militar, 10(21), 158-178. https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v10i21.725

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