Constructing Christian Bureaucrats: Justinian and the Governor's Oath of Office

Abstract:This article examines aspects of the investiture oath sworn by provincial governors during the reign of Justinian. This oath, which was implemented alongside the promulgation of Novel 8 in 535, was intended to act as an overt articulation of the governor's duties. Owing to this purpose, it is significant that parts of the oath's formula directly relate to the swearer's doctrinal affiliation. The governor could not begin his period of service without first stating his agreement with a sanitized form of imperial Christianity and promising to prevent the existence of sects which opposed what the emperor contemporaneously defined as "orthodoxy." Through these crucial yet brief statements, gubernatorial bureaucrats publicly demonstrated that their administrative remit also concerned provincial religious conflicts. This expression was an imperial response to the ongoing dialogue between state and church actors about the nature of Christian civil service. Through the implementation of this carefully constructed oath of office, Justinian made his provincial governors characterize themselves as "orthodox" servants in an "orthodox" Christian empire.