Justiniana Prima

Justiniana Prima (Latin: Iustiniana Prima, Serbian: Јустинијана Прима/Justinijana Prima or Царичин Град/Caričin Grad) was a Byzantine city that existed from 535 to 615, and currently an archaeological site, near today's Lebane, Leskovac district in southern Serbia. It was founded by Emperor Justinian I and served as the seat of an Archbishopric that had jurisdiction of the Central Balkans.

In 1979, Justiniana Prima was added to the Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance-list, protected by Republic of Serbia.

Background

The establishment of the Archbishopric is mentioned in Justinian's own Novel XI from 535, when he promotes the Metropolitan to an Archbishop, independent from the Archbishop of Thessalonica. The establishment is seen as part of the feud between Justinian and the Archbishop of Eastern Illyricum, who was a papal vicar.^[1]

History

Aeroimage in 1937. Photo archive of the Military Geographical Institute of Serbia^[2]

The city was founded by Emperor Justinian I. It existed from the 530s to 615 and was designed as a splendid bishop's seat. The city was a completely new foundation in honour of the nearby village of Tauresium, the birthplace of Justinian. According to Procopius Bederiana, the birthplace of Justinian's uncle and mentor Justin I was nearby. There has been a long debate about the identification of these historical places. The huge correlation between the archaeological site and the description by Procopius as well as finds of seals of the bishop of Iustiniana Prima are strong arguments for an identification of Justiniana Prima with Caricin Grad.^[3]

The city planning combined classical and Christian elements: thermae, a forum, and streets with colonnades. Typical Mediterranean features went along with numerous churches.

Justinian himself ordered the foundation of the city by law in 535, establishing the Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima, making it at the same time the capital of the prefecture of Illyricum instead of Thessaloniki (although this is disputed among historians). It also was chosen as the seat of the Dacian diocese.

Thessaloniki, however, did not actually lose much of its administrative functions during the short lifetime of Justiniana Prima. Still, the new foundation was not without importance and Justinian made sure that this city, which was one of his favourite projects, received all the necessary support. In 545 Justinian issued another law underlining the episcopal rights and status of Justiniana Prima, which is also confirmed by letters that were exchanged between Justinian and Pope Gregory I at the end of the 6th century.

"He therefore built a wall of small compass about this place in the form of a square, placing a tower at each corner, and caused it to be called, as it actually is, Tetrapyrgia. And close by this place he built a very notable city which he named Justiniana Prima, thus paying a debt of gratitude to the home that fostered him. In that place also he constructed an aqueduct and so caused the city to be abundantly supplied with ever-running water. And many other enterprises were carried out by the founder of this city - works of great size and worthy of especial note. For to enumerate the churches is not easy, and it is impossible to tell in words of the lodgings for magistrates, the great stoas, the fine marketplaces, the fountains, the streets, the baths, the shops. In brief, the city is both great and populous and blessed in every way."

Procopius' description of Justiniana Prima in The Buildings.

The town was abandoned at around 615. Invading Avars coming from north of the Danube may be one factor, missing political interest in the town after the time of Justinian may be another. Among many other imported finds the presence of 2 pieces of a specific type of fibulae^[4] and handmade pottery have been understood as an indication of the presence of Slavs already before the Avar incursion.^[5]

Archaeological site

There have been archaeological excavations for nearly 100 years with the participation of French and more recently also German researchers. There is a permanent exhibition in the national museum in Leskovac. At the site itself monuments there are impressive remains of the fortification, the acropolis as well as of several churches and many other buildings.

See also

• Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance

References

Bibliography

• Stanislaw Turlej (2016). Justiniana Prima: An Underestimated Aspect of Justinian’s Church Policy. Jagiellonian University Press - Krakow. ISBN 978-83-233-9556-0. 
• Alexander Sarantis (2016). Justinian's Balkan Wars: Campaigning, Diplomacy and Development in Illyricum, Thrace and the Northern World A.D. 527-65. Francis Cairns (Publications) Ltd. ISBN 978-0905205588. 
• Tamara Ognjević. THE SHEPHERD AS THE PERSONIFICATION OF RULER AND PRIEST An iconographical analysis of a scene from an early-Byzantine floor mosaic in the southern basilica of Caričin Grad (PDF). 
• J. A. S. Evans (2002). The Age of Justinian: The Circumstances of Imperial Power, pp 96–97, 189, 227-228. 
• Peter Sarris (2006). Economy and Society in the Age of Justinian. Cambridge University Press. 
• A. D. Lee (2013). From Rome to Byzantium AD 363 to 565: The Transformation of Ancient Rome. Edinburgh University Press. 
• Joachim Henning (2007). Post-Roman Towns, Trade and Settlement in Europe and Byzantium: Byzantium, Pliska, and the Balkans. Walter de Gruyter. 
• Hendrik W. Dey (2014). The Afterlife of the Roman City. Cambridge University Press. 
• Dr John Rich (2002). The City in Late Antiquity. Routledge. 
• Curta, Florin (2001). The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region, c. 500–700. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 
• Curta, Florin (2006). Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 
• Vujadin Ivanisevic (2012). BARBARIAN SETTLEMENTS IN THE INTERIOR OF ILLYRICUM: THE CASE OF CARIČIN GRAD. 
• http://web.rgzm.de/fileadmin/gruppen/rgzm/IvanisevicCaricinGrad.pdf
• William Bowden (2003), "Theory and practice in late antique archaeology", pp. 207–220, BRILL, ISBN 978-90-04-12567-4
• The challenge of our past: studies in Orthodox Canon law and Church history
• Đorđe Janković, The Slavs in the 6th century North Illyricum

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Justiniana Prima.

• Caričin Grad – Iustiniana Prima, archaeological site - UNESCO
• 3-D animation Justiniana Prima
• Justiniana Prima on Youtube
• Zooarchaeology: Bones of Camel Discovered at site of Caričin Grad - Justiniana Prima (In Serbian) on Youtube

Coordinates: 42°57′11.69″N 21°40′11.90″E / 42.9532472°N 21.6699722°E / 42.9532472; 21.6699722