Editing Majorian (section)

===Conservation of the monuments of Rome===
[[File:Portrait of Majorian, Frontispiece BN lat. 4404.png|thumb|200px|Majorian from a 9th-century copy of the [[Breviary of Alaric]]]]
From the beginning of the 4th century, the monuments of Rome, and more generally all buildings of some value that were in a state of neglect for various reasons, were increasingly used as quarries for valuable building materials. This practice, in fact, was cheaper and more convenient than import from remote locations, which was sometimes rendered difficult or impossible by the control of the sea by the [[Vandals]].<ref>Paolo Delogu, ''Le invasioni barbariche nel meridione dell'impero: Visigoti, Vandali, Ostrogoti'', Rubettino, p. 336.</ref> Roman officials conceded upon petition the use for construction of marble, stone and brick recovered from demolition of ancient monuments:

{{blockquote|text=Hence the occasion now arises that also each and every person who is constructing a private edifice through the favoritism of the judges who are situated in the City, does not hesitate to take presumptuously and to transfer the necessary materials from the public places, although those things which belong to the splendor of the cities ought to be preserved by civic affection, even under the necessity of repair.|sign=''Novella Maioriani'' 4|source=Clyde Pharr (ed.), ''The Theodosian code: and Novels'' The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., 2001 {{ISBN|1-58477-146-1}}, pp. 553–554.}}

To cope with this phenomenon, Majorian promulgated a law, ''Novella Maioriani'' 4, ''De aedificiis pubblicis'' ("Public Buildings"), in Ravenna on 11 July 459, addressed to Aemilianus, ''[[praefectus urbi]]'' of Rome. The punishment for judges who had allowed the destruction of ancient public buildings was 50 pounds of gold, while their subordinates were whipped and had both hands amputated. Those who had removed materials from public buildings were to return them. The Senate had the power to decide whether there were extreme conditions that justified the demolition of an old building and, if it decided for the demolition, the Emperor still had the right to order that the resulting materials should be used to decorate other public buildings.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}