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How did Justinian I try to reduce corruption among provincial governors?
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Justinian I
Justinian I, detail of a mosaic in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy.
To reduce corruption among provincial governors, Justinian I implemented several administrative and legal reforms aimed at curbing extortion and improving governance:
- Prohibition of suffragia: In 535, Justinian outlawed the sale of provincial governorships. This was a critical step, as governors previously felt compelled to engage in extortion to recoup the heavy costs of purchasing their offices.12
- Strengthening local oversight: He expanded the role and jurisdiction of the defensores civitatis (defenders of the cities). By empowering these officials to protect their cities, he aimed to spare provincial citizens the expense and burden of traveling to a governor’s court for justice.1
- Administrative reorganization: Justinian reorganized the provincial system, which included abolishing certain vicariates and regrouping provinces to increase efficiency. In specific regions, he combined civil and military authority, granting governors higher rank and final jurisdiction over smaller legal cases to streamline administration.1
- Direct instructions: The emperor issued specific instructions to provincial governors to guide their conduct and ensure better adherence to imperial standards.1
Despite these efforts, the reforms were sometimes piecemeal, and the emperor continued to face challenges in ensuring consistent enforcement across the empire.1