Un acte de la préfecture d’Afrique sur l’Église de Byzacène au début du règne de Justin II

A small collection of legal texts on the privileges of the Church of Byzacium comprises three imperial rescripts (dated 541, 542 and 568) and an act of the Prefecture of Africa published by G. Haenel in 1857. In his opinion, the act reflects a lost constitution of Justin II dated 5 December 566. Yet our revision of the sole manuscript (formerly in Udine, now in Leipzig) leads to the reconsideration of the text on several points. The formula of the date placed at the beginning indicates that the prefectoral act, issued before this date, was then read at an official proceeding. The date is otherwise inconsistent, in as much as the 5 December of the second year of the reign of Justin II (566/7) cannot coincide with the first year after his consulate. We observe, on critical examination of the edition of contemporary imperial documents, that, contrary to the opinion of E. Stein, the consulate in question may just as well be that of 568 as that of 566. If, then, the post-consulate as indicated is correct, the act of the Prefecture of Africa must have been read in December of 567 or 569. In addition, the expansive nomenclature of the author, Flavius Michaelius Petrus Thomas Callinicus Iulianus, probably reveals the existence of a new prefect of Africa, Julianus. However, it is not impossible, if the document dates from before 568, that its author was Thomas, a known prefect, and that the two names which follow are those of contemporary prefects. As for the primate of Byzacium mentioned in the document, his name was Spesindeum, typical of Africa in this period. The same bishop is the addressee of the rescript of 568. In conclusion, a revised edition is given of the prefectoral act and (as an appendice) the rescript of 568. Comparison of these two texts, largely parallel despite their divergences, leaves open the question asked at the beginning: the hypothesis of a rescript of Justin II on the Church of Byzacium before that of 568 remains doubtful. [Author, translated by M. Featherstone]