Dion C. Smythe is researching "Byzantine Citizenship" for a chapter contribution on citizenship in the ancient world. Under the Byzantine Empire, the legal concept of Roman citizenship established in 212 CE was transformed, as people were identified as Byzantines or subjects of the Emperor. Smythe's research will examine how legal definitions of citizenship changed from the 6th century legal reforms of Justinian to the end of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, focusing on periods where legal sources survive.

1. Dion C. Smythe
FAC 181032
(a) My research topic is “Byzantine Citizenship”.
(b) This is my current research interest because I have been
asked to contribute a chapter to a volume on “Citizenship in the
Ancient World”. The Classical Greek city states (Athens,
Sparta, Thebes etc) and Imperial Rome (in the west) had a legal
basis to citizenship: laws determined who was and who was not
a citizen. An edict in 212 AD granted citizenship to all who
lived in the empire. Though the codification of the law by
Tribonian under Justinian in the sixth century continued this
legal basis, the transformation of the Late Roman Empire to the
Byzantine Empire saw an additional transformation in how
people were identified as Byzantines and as douloi [‘slaves’ or
subjects] of the Emperor of the Romans [autokrator ton
Romaion].
(c) A google search for the term ‘Roman Citizenship’ produces
14, 600, 000 hits.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=strict&source=hp&ei=wS
8tXqyNCfmKjLsPmKWJ8AE&q=Roman+citizenship&oq=Roma
n+citizenship&gs_l=psyab.3..0l10.3459.9727..10805...0.0..0.44
9.3004.0j13j3j0j1......0....1..gwswiz.......0i131j0i10.a2nUdjPZA
C4&ved=0ahUKEwjs8bPvz6DnAhV5BWMBHZhSAh4Q4dUDC
AU&uact=5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_citizenship A
google search for ‘Byzantine Citizenship’ produces 1,500,000
hits.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=strict&source=hp&ei=wS
8tXqyNCfmKjLsPmKWJ8AE&q=Byzantine+citizenship&oq=By
zantine+citizenship&gs_l=psyab.3..0i22i30.5467.12755..14311..
.1.0..0.255.3139.0j20j2...0....1..gwswiz.......0i131j0j0i3j0i13j0i1
3i30j0i13i5i30.myvwFssGOSc&ved=0ahUKEwjs8bPvz6DnAhV
5BWMBHZhSAh4Q4dUDCAU&uact=5 No Wikipedia page for
‘Byzantine Citizenship’ exists; but:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Greeks. Many of the

2. 1.5 million google hits for ‘Byzantine Citizenship’ are for the
term ‘Byzantine’ alone.
(d) My research topic is already restricted in several ways. It
deals with citizenship (so legal ideas about belonging) in the
Byzantine Empire (330 to 1453 AD). Given the legal focus, the
start point will be the legislative reforms in the sixth century by
Tribonian under the Emperor Justinian. The survival of legal
sources and the nature of those legal sources, determines
periods when I shall be looking for changes in legal definitions.
The Palaiologan period (1261-1453) of the Byzantine Empire
after the liberation of Constantinople from the Latins in 1261
introduces additional complexities, with Byzantines claiming
descent from Western merchants asserting their rights to be
classified as Western citizens of Venice, Pisa or Genoa.
(e) How did the legal concept of ‘Roman Citizenship’ (dating
from 212 CE) change under the Byzantine Empire (330-1453
CE)? [325 words]
Dion C. Smythe
FAC 181032
(a) My research topic is “Byzantine Citizenship”.
(b) This is my current research interest because I have been
asked to contribute a chapter to a volume on “Citizenship in the
Ancient World”. The Classical Greek city states (Athens,
Sparta, Thebes etc) and Imperial Rome (in the west) had a legal
basis to citizenship: laws determined who was and who was not
a citizen. An edict in 212 AD granted citizenship to all who
lived in the empire. Though the codification of the law by
Tribonian under Justinian in the sixth century continued this
legal basis, the transformation of the Late Roman Empire to the
Byzantine Empire saw an additional transformation in how
people were identified as Byzantines and as douloi [‘slaves’ or
subjects] of the Emperor of the Romans [autokrator ton
Romaion].
(c) A google search for the term ‘Roman Citizenship’ produces
14, 600, 000 hits.

3. https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=strict&source=hp&ei=wS
8tXqyNCfmKjLsPmKWJ8AE&q=Roman+citizenship&oq=Roma
n+citizenship&gs_l=psyab.3..0l10.3459.9727..10805...0.0..0.44
9.3004.0j13j3j0j1......0....1..gwswiz.......0i131j0i10.a2nUdjPZA
C4&ved=0ahUKEwjs8bPvz6DnAhV5BWMBHZhSAh4Q4dUDC
AU&uact=5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_citizenship A
google search for ‘Byzantine Citizenship’ produces 1,500,000
hits.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=strict&source=hp&ei=wS
8tXqyNCfmKjLsPmKWJ8AE&q=Byzantine+citizenship&oq=By
zantine+citizenship&gs_l=psyab.3..0i22i30.5467.12755..14311..
.1.0..0.255.3139.0j20j2...0....1..gwswiz.......0i131j0j0i3j0i13j0i1
3i30j0i13i5i30.myvwFssGOSc&ved=0ahUKEwjs8bPvz6DnAhV
5BWMBHZhSAh4Q4dUDCAU&uact=5 No Wikipedia page for
‘Byzantine Citizenship’ exists; but:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/Byzantine_Greeks. Many of the
1.5 million google hits for ‘Byzantine Citizenship’ are for the
term ‘Byzantine’ alone.
(d) My research topic is already restricted in several ways. It
deals with citizenship (so legal ideas about belonging) in the
Byzantine Empire (330 to 1453 AD). Given the legal focus, the
start point will be the legislative reforms in the sixth century by
Tribonian under the Emperor Justinian. The survival of legal
sources and the nature of those legal sources, determines
periods when I shall be looking for changes in legal definitions.
The Palaiologan period (1261-1453) of the Byzantine Empire
after the liberation of Constantinople from the Latins in 1261
introduces additional complexities, with Byzantines claiming
descent from Western merchants asserting their rights to be
classified as Western citizens of Venice, Pisa or Genoa.
(e) How did the legal concept of ‘Roman Citizenship’ (dating
from 212 CE) change under the Byzantine Empire (330-1453
CE)? [325 words]