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whichmanifesteditselfintheneedtobringordertothelaw,abolishthestate
ofobscuritaslegumdepictedinperiodsourcesandtoensureimperialjustice.8
Theinspirationtoundertakeresearchconcerningthejudiciaryofdiocesan
vicars(vicariusdioeceseos)stemmedpreciselyfromtheweightoftheissueof
legalcomplianceintheLateAntiqueperiodandrecognitionoftheimportance
ofthisareaofvicars’activity,inwhichtheyrepresentedpraetorianprefects.9
InLateAntiquity,praefectuspraetoriowasthehighestrankingofficialof
imperialpublicadministration,responsibleforthemaintenanceoflawand
orderthroughoutthestate.10Diocesanvicars,whoactedasdeputiesofPPO
ontheterritoriesofdiocesanprefecturesestablishedattheturnofthefourth
century,alsocarriedoutnumerousadministrativetask,yetexercisingjudi-
cialpowerswasoneoftheirprimeresponsibilities.11
Thechoiceofthetopicwasalsodictatedbythefactthatscientificlitera-
turetodatelacksamonographdevotedtothejudiciaryofdiocesanvicars.12
Theessentialgoalofmystudiesistoinvestigateanimportantfragmentof
statehistoryoftheRomanEmpireinLateAntiquity.Theyaredeliberately
designedasbasicresearch,whichmayprovidegroundsforfurtheranalyses
targetingthefunctionsandtransformationoflegalinstitutions,inthatthey
drawuponthethoughexpressedbyDr.GeorgeSmoot,the2006Physics
NobelLaureate,HPeoplecannotforeseethefuturewellenoughtopredict
what'sgoingtodevelopfrombasicresearch.Ifweonlydidappliedresearch,
wewouldstillbemakingbetterspears.”13
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8Anapproachwhichwastoberepresentede.g.byMartinus,vicarofBritainbetween353
and354,whodidnotconsenttoillegalactionsundertakenwithrespecttothedioceseinhabit-
antsbytheimperialnotaryPaulus,andcommittedsuicideafterthelatter’sattemptedmurder.
SeeAmm.Marc.14,5,6-8.Frombibliographicstudiesonlycf.e.g.PLRE1(Paulus4;Martinus
2);Kuhoff(1983):esp.352(note3),417(note19).Itwasalsonoaccidentthatvicarswerere-
cruittedasdefensorescivitatis,whosedutyitwastoprotectcitizensfromoppressionofstate
andmunicipalauthorities:C.Th.1,29,3(a.368)=C.1,55,2.Perhapsthiswasalsothereason
whyoneoftheconstitutionsconcerningdefensoressenatuswasaddressedtothevicarofAsia-
C.Th.1,28,2(a.364).Seee.g.Barbati(2012):272,273,274.Datingafter:Schmidt-Hofner
(2008a):504etseq.,510etseq.Cf.alsoFrakes(2001):94,108-110.
9Franks(2012):esp.119-130,underlinesthesubstantialroleofissuesassociatedwithcol-
lectionoftaxesthroughouttheentireperiodofvicariates.Previouslyinsimilarvein-Williams
(1997):110,andGaudemet(1974):204etseq.(Gaudemetbasedhisviewsontheanalysisof
constitutionsaddressedtoDracontius,oneofthevicarsofthedioceseofAfricafromthelatter
halfofthefourthcentury).Inthiswork,IarguethatDracontius’scasewassymptomaticofthe
declineinsignificanceofdiocesanvicarsasjudges.TheissueisdiscussedbroaderinChapter
4.1(s.v.Dracontius).
10SeeChapter2.1.
11OnthedevelopmentofdiocesanorganisationseeChapter2.2.
12SeeChapter1.2.2.
13QuotedbyNewton(2012)andinmanyotherstudies.
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