Letter 39: To the citizens of Byzacium [a district in the region of modern Tunisia].
Julian the Apostate→Unknown|c. 358 AD|Julian the Apostate|Human translated
imperial politics
To the citizens of Byzacium [a district in the region of modern Tunisia].
I have restored to you all your senators and councillors — whether they abandoned their civic duties by taking up the Galileans' [Christians'] superstition or devised some other method of escaping the senate. The only exceptions are those who have held public office in the capital.
[This was part of Julian's sweeping reform to force wealthy men back into municipal service. Constantine had granted Christian clergy immunity from such civic obligations — which had the side effect of encouraging men to become clerics simply to avoid the crushing financial burdens of serving as city councillors. Julian revoked those exemptions. The Emperor Valentinian restored them in 364.]
To the citizens of Byzacium 2
[362, Probably from Antioch]
I have restored to you all your senators and councillors3 whether they have abandoned themselves to the superstition of the Galilaeans or have devised some other method of escaping from the senate,4 and have excepted only those who have filled public offices in the capital.
2 Byzacium was in the district of Tunis. This is Cumont's conjecture for MS. title
To the Byzantines. Julian never calls Constantinople Byzantium. Gibbon suspected the title and conjectured that it was addressed to the town Bisanthe
(Rodosto) in Thrace.
3 The meaning of this word is not clear; Cumont translates "patroni" i.e. protectors, but we cannot be certain as to the functions of these local dignitaries in Africa.
4 On the burden of being a Senator cf. Libanius, Oration 2; Ammianus 21. 12. 23; Julian,
Misopogon 367d. It was one of Julian's most widespread reforms to enrol all wealthy men in the senates of their cities. By an edict of March 362 he deprived the Christian clerics of their immunities from such public offices which had been conferred on them by Constantine (cf. Sozomen 5. 5) and in the present case his edict is directed mainly against those who had become clerics in order to escape municipal service. Philostorgius 7. 4 says that this was part of Julian's malignant policy. The Emperor Valentinian restored their privileges to the clerics in 364.
To the citizens of Byzacium [a district in the region of modern Tunisia].
I have restored to you all your senators and councillors — whether they abandoned their civic duties by taking up the Galileans' [Christians'] superstition or devised some other method of escaping the senate. The only exceptions are those who have held public office in the capital.
[This was part of Julian's sweeping reform to force wealthy men back into municipal service. Constantine had granted Christian clergy immunity from such civic obligations — which had the side effect of encouraging men to become clerics simply to avoid the crushing financial burdens of serving as city councillors. Julian revoked those exemptions. The Emperor Valentinian restored them in 364.]