Justinian’s Novella 47 and the Founders of Rome: Rome, foundation, myths, propagand, power, Justinian, Aeneas, Romolus, Numa, Augustus

Abstract

Nov. 47 – introducing the obligation to date public documents also indicating the years of the reign of the emperor in office – presents a very interesting praefatio regarding the foundation of Rome. It confirms the instrumental and propagandistic function of the well-known legends: Aeneas, Romulus, and even Numa are all named as founders, to whom Caesar and Augustus are added. This is a sign that even in 6^th-century Constantinople, the myth was still alive and used for the global public legitimization of the new Rome and its emperor.