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the court: the human element 145
deposed Romulus. After 425 the western empire would last only a halfcentury,
but its instability produced nearly as many emperors as exercised
power in Constantinople from 425 to 602, corresponding to average reigns
of about five and sixteen years respectively. After Theodosius II, no son
inherited his father’s throne, whence great diversity among emperors.
Where emperors came from suggests that the imperial élite, too, was
fissuring along regional lines. Of the seven western emperors whose backgrounds
are known, six certainly came from families based in the west or
were born there. One was born in Constantinople, and Anthemius is the
exception that proves the rule, since he owed power to the eastern empire’s
intervention in Italy. Conversely, nine or ten of the eleven men who actually
wielded power at Constantinople certainly came from families established
in the eastern empire. 58 The Balkan peninsula alone supplied nearly
half the eastern emperors, while Constantinople or its environs apparently
gave birth to only one western (Anthemius) and two eastern emperors
(Theodosius II and Justin II).
The geographic pattern is closely connected with emperors’ professional
backgrounds, since the army recruited heavily in the Balkans. In fact,
military careers or families supplied at least half of the emperors, whereas
fewer than a fifth had significant backgrounds in the civilian bureaucracy. 59
The details of emperors’ military careers, however, underscore the prominence
of the court. Six out of ten or eleven military emperors had accomplished
part or all of their military careers in palatine units and, even more
significantly, Tiberius and Maurice both shifted from civilian careers as
notaries to the palace guard, the excubitors. 60 In other words, until Maurice
was overthrown by a field army, physical presence at court was an asset in
competing for the purple. Indeed, as Justin II’s success against his cousin
and rival Justin, son of Germanus, shows, a field command was a liability.
Finally, regardless of professional background, over one-third of all
emperors owed their position to some sort of kinship with the imperial
family. 61 The court had become more than the centre of power: it was also
the best avenue to power.
iii. the court: the human element
Besides the emperor himself, who really wielded power at court? Efforts to
lobby the imperial entourage show that contemporaries naturally valued
58 Unless otherwise noted, this section is based on data in PLRE ii and iii; Basiliscus appears to be
non-Roman, but his origin is unclear: Krautschick (1986) 350.
59 Petronius Maximus, Anastasius; Tiberius and Maurice both started out as notaries.
60 Whitby, Maurice 6.
61 Valentinian III; Anthemius, who married Euphemia; Olybrius; Theodosius II; Zeno; Basiliscus;
Justinian and Justin II.
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