Networks and the City: A Network Perspective on Procopius De Aed. I and the Building of Late Antique Constantinople

Abstract

Procopius of Caesarea’s work Buildings (ca. 550) is often used by archaeologists as a source of information on the building works of the eastern Roman emperor Justinian (r. 527–565 CE). Procopius’ own literary agenda, however, makes direct interpretation of the information he presents difficult, whether it comes to understanding the form of lost works, or understanding the historicity of his claims of patronage for Justinian. Network visualizations can provide an easy-to-interpret overview of differences between Procopius and information scattered throughout historiography in multiple languages, and other sources such as archaeology and epigraphy. In this work, we demonstrate the applicability of network theory by applying it to intra- and extratextual networks comprising urban patrons and building projects mentioned in Book 1 of the Buildings , on Constantinople. The clear diagrams generated as a result provide a “network perspective” on the complex historiographical and archaeological data, and provide a starting point for qualitative analysis of Procopius’s literary strategy. This in turn enhances the potential for informed use of the text as a source for historical reconstruction of the material past.