Ruling the Empire

Jovian, who had been elevated to imperial status in Persia, soon after his treaty with Shapur II started to secure his position as emperor. Like any ruler, Jovian was aware of the fact that his authority depended not only on his authoritative position as emperor, but also on how his imperial power was presented and perceived. A variety of visual, literary, and other media, such as coins, inscriptions, legislation, panegyrics, and official ceremonies, were available to help in publicizing an emperor’s supremacy and legitimacy as ruler. This chapter focuses on how Jovian established his rule by using the media of coinage, legislation, and inscriptions, as well as Themistius’s oration in honor of his first consulship. Ideologically he clearly distinguished himself from the regime of Julian by connecting himself to Constantius II and especially by anchoring himself in the imperial tradition of Constantine the Great. The chapter also discusses practical matters of imperial administration and the nomination of officials, and very importantly, how Jovian secured the western provinces of the empire, in particular Gaul, by sending various envoys, among them his father-in-law Lucillianus and the later emperor Valentinian. Jovian’s imperial administration relied for the most part on military and civil officials that had already been nominated under Constantius II and Julian.