Editing Majorian (section)

==Domestic policy==
Majorian's domestic policy is known thanks to some of the laws he issued, the so-called ''Novellae Maioriani'', that were included in a collection of [[Roman law]] called the Breviary of Alaric, requested from some Gallo-Roman jurists in 506 by the Visigothic king [[Alaric II]] .<ref name="mathisen" /><ref>Clyde Pharr, ''The Theodosian code and novels, and the Sirmondian constitutions'', The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., 2001, {{ISBN|1-58477-146-1}}, pp. 551–561.</ref>

The preserved laws are:
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 1, ''De ortu imperii domini Majoriani Augusti'', "The Beginning of the Reign of Our Lord Majorian Augustus", opening speech of his reign, addressed to the [[Roman Senate]] (given in [[Ravenna]], on 11 January 458);
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 2, ''De indulgentiis reliquorum'', "On the Remission of Past-Due Accounts" (given in Ravenna, on 11 March 458, to [[Caecina Decius Basilius|Basilius]], [[Praetorian prefect of Italy]]);
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 3, ''De defensoribus civitatum'', "The Defenders of the Municipalities", on the office of ''defensor civitatum'' (given in Ravenna, on 8 May 458, also in the name of [[Leo I (emperor)|Leo I]]);
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 4, ''De aedificiis pubblicis'', "Public Buildings", on the preservation of the monuments of Rome (given in Ravenna, on 11 July 458, to Aemilianus, ''[[praefectus urbi]]'' of Rome, also in the name of Leo I);
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 5, ''De bonis caducis sive proscriptorum'', "On Abandoned Property and That of Proscribed Persons" (given in Ravenna, on 4 September 458, to Ennodius,<ref name="ennodius">This Ennodius was a relative of the poet and bishop [[Magnus Felix Ennodius]] (474–521).</ref> ''comes privatae largitionis'', also in the name of Leo I);
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 6, ''De sanctimonialibus vel viduis et de successionibus earum'', "Holy Maidens, Widows, and Their Succession" (given in Ravenna, on 26 October 458, to Basilius, Praetorian prefect of Italy, also in the name of Leo I);
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 7, ''De curialibus et de agnatione vel distractione praediorum et de ceteris negotiis'', "[[Curiales]], Their Children and The Sale of Their Landed Estates" (given in Ravenna, on 6 November 458, to Basilius, Praetorian prefect of Italy, also in the name of Leo I);
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 8, ''De reddito iure armorum'', "On the Return of the Right to Bear Arms", whose text is lost;
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 9, ''De adulteriis'', "Adultery", confirming that the adulterers are to be put to death (given in Arelate, on 17 April 459, to Rogatianus, governor of Suburbicarian Tuscany, also in the name of Leo I);
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 10, about the right of the Roman senators and of the Church to keep the goods received in a will, whose text is lost;
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 11, ''De episcopali iudicio et ne quis invitus clericus ordinetur vel de ceteris negotiis'', "Episcopal Courts; No Person Shall Be Ordained A Cleric Against His Will; Various Matters", (given in Arelate, on 28 March 460, to [[Ricimer]], also in the name of Leo I);
* ''Novella Maioriani'' 12, ''De aurigis et seditiosis'', "Charioteers and Seditious Persons", whose text is lost.

===Fiscal policy and coinage===
[[File:Tremissis - Visigoti per Maggioriano - RIC X 3747-9.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Tremissis]] minted by a Visigothic king in the name of Majorian. These coins were minted in [[Arelate]] between 457 and 507 and showed the corrupted  name <span style="font-variant:small-caps">iviivs haiorianvs</span>. Even if their style was close to the Roman originals, Visigothic coins contained less precious metal; it was probably for this reason that Majorian issued a law obliging the tax collectors to accept golden coins at their nominal value, with the exception of the "Gallic" coin, of lesser value.<ref>''Novella Maioriani'' 7.14, 6 November 458, cited in Mathisen.</ref>]]

Majorian understood that he could reign effectively only with the support of the senatorial aristocracy, whom he wanted to return to its pristine political prominence. At the same time, he planned to reduce the abuses perpetrated by the senators, many of whom cultivated their local interests disregarding the imperial policies, even refusing to pay taxes and keeping for themselves the taxes they had exacted. This fiscal evasion had a cascade effect that affected the small landowners, the citizens and the local civil magistrates.<ref name="mathisen" />

For example, the [[Decurion (administrative)|decurions]] had to personally compensate the imperial treasury for all taxes not exacted. Sometimes, oppressed by the debts accumulated in this way, the decurions abandoned their status, a problem which was previously addressed by Emperor [[Julian (emperor)|Julian]] (361–363). Majorian also cancelled tax arrears, knowing that fiscal policy could not be effective if taxpayers had to pay large accumulated arrears.<ref name="mathisen" />

On 11 March 458, Majorian issued a law entitled ''De indulgentiis reliquorum'', "On the Remission of Past-Due Accounts" (''Novella Maioriani'' 2). This law remitted all the tax arrears of the landowners. This same law explicitly prohibited public administrators, who had a record of keeping the collected money for themselves, from collecting taxes. This task was to be reserved to the governors alone. Another law issued to reorganise the tax system was issued on 4 September of the same year, and was entitled ''De bonis caducis sive proscriptorum'', "On Abandoned Property and That of Proscribed Persons" (''Novella Maioriani'' 5): the ''[[comes]] privatae largitionis'' Ennodius was to admonish the provincial judges against defrauding the imperial treasure by keeping for themselves a part of the money collected.<ref name="mathisen" />

[[File:Medaglione contorniato di maiorano con fantino.JPG|thumb|[[Contorniate]] depicting emperor Majorian]]
The Emperor was also interested in repairing the backbone of the imperial administration. On 8 May 458, Majorian issued a law entitled ''De defensoribus civitatum'', "The Defenders of the Municipalities" (''Novella Maioriani'' 3), to re-establish the office of the {{Ill|Defensor civitatis|es|4=fr}}. This city magistrate represented the interests of the citizens in trials against the public administration, particularly in fiscal matters; this magistracy was still in existence, but actually ineffective, since it was often held by the same officials who cheated the population.<ref name="mathisen" />

Another law was issued on 6 November to strengthen the magistracy of the [[Decurion (administrative)|decurion]]s. ''De curialibus et de agnatione vel distractione praediorum et de ceteris negotiis'', "Decurions, Their Children and The Sale of Their Landed Estates" (''Novella Maioriani'' 7), was issued to forgive past abuses perpetrated by the decurions. This forbade them from leaving their status (going into hiding or marrying slave or tenant farmers) or alienating their own properties.<ref name="mathisen" />

Majorian minted coins in [[gold]], [[silver]] and [[bronze]]. Gold coinage was minted in great quantities. On these coins the Emperor is depicted, with few exceptions, with a [[combat helmet]], a spear, a shield, and a [[chi-rho]], looking towards the right; this typology was derived from a rare type minted in [[Ravenna]] for [[Honorius (emperor)|Honorius]] and used in great quantities only by Majorian, it was dropped by his successors. The first series of [[Solidus (coin)|solidi]] were probably minted in Ravenna, and bear on the obverse the joint portrait of Majorian and [[Leo I (emperor)|Leo I]], thus celebrating the mutual recognition of the two Roman emperors. The [[Mint (coin)|mints]] of Ravenna and [[Milan]] issued both solidi and [[tremissis|tremisses]] from the beginning of Majorian's reign.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name=vagi>Vagi, David, ''Coinage and history of the Roman Empire, c. 82 B.C.–A.D. 480'', Taylor & Francis, {{ISBN|1-57958-316-4}}, p. 567.</ref>

No series of [[semissis|semisses]] are attested for these two mints, probably because the semisses were typically minted by the mint of [[Rome]] and this mint was not active under Majorian, who never visited the ancient capital of his Empire during his four years of rule. The minting of solidi is attested for the mint of [[Arelate]] in 458, a fact compatible with the presence of Majorian in Gaul in that year. This mint was again active in 460, when the Emperor returned from his campaign in Hispania. The [[Visigoths]] minted some reproductions of his solidi, modelled after the issues of the [[Arelate]] mint: as Arelate issued only solidi, the Visigoths used those designs also for the tremissis.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name="vagi"/>

Silver coinage was issued almost exclusively by the Gallic mints; it has been suggested that these series were not issued by Majorian, but by [[Aegidius]] after the Emperor's death, to mark the fact that he did not recognize his successor, [[Libius Severus]]. Majorian also produced great quantities of [[nummus|nummi]] of great weight, mostly minted at Ravenna and Milan, and some [[contorniate]]s, mostly in Rome, but probably also in Ravenna.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name=vagi />

===Natalist policies===
The diffusion of Christianity in the Empire caused some social changes within the aristocratic families. In several wealthy families, daughters were obliged to take religious vows and never marry, so that the family wealth would not be dispersed in dowries. Majorian thought that this behaviour was harmful to the State, because it reduced the number of Roman children, and because it caused the girls to start illicit affairs. On 26 October 458, the Emperor addressed a law, the ''Novella Maioriani'' 6, to the [[Praetorian prefect of Italy]], [[Caecina Decius Basilius]].<ref name="autogenerated110">''Novella Maioriani'' 6.1–3, cited in Grubbs, p. 110.</ref>

This law, titled ''De sanctimonialibus vel viduis et de successionibus earum'' ("Holy Maidens, Widows, and Their Succession"), imposed a minimum age of 40 for taking religious vows, considering that at this age the sexual drives of the initiated would be dormant. The law also granted women who had been forced to take religious vows, and were subsequently disinherited, the same rights on the legacy of parents as their brothers and sisters.<ref name="autogenerated110"/>

In order to solve this same problem of the decline of the Roman population, in particular compared with the growth of the barbarians allocated within the imperial boundaries, Majorian addressed the problem of young women widowed and without children who never remarried because of the influence of the clergy, to whom they destined their goods in their will. The young widows were prohibited from taking religious vows.<ref name="autogenerated232">''Novella Maioriani'' 6.5–8, cited in Grubbs, pp. 232–234.</ref>

By the same measure, departing in this from the policy of the Eastern Empire, Majorian insisted that a marriage without dowry and pre-wedding exchange of gifts (first from the bride's family to the groom, then in the opposite direction) was invalid; he simultaneously ended the practice of requesting pre-wedding gifts of a value considerably higher than the dowry.<ref>''Novella Maioriani'' 6.9–103, cited in Grubbs, p. 119.</ref>

===Relationship with the senatorial aristocracy===
[[File:Tremissis Avitus-RIC 2402.jpg|thumb|300px|Avitus, the predecessor of Majorian on the imperial throne, had alienated the support of the Roman senatorial aristocracy by appointing members of the Gallo-Roman aristocracy, of which he was a part, to the most important offices of the imperial administration. He was overthrown by Majorian, who did not repeat the error and rotated the main offices between representatives of the two aristocracies.]]

When Majorian took power by deposing [[Avitus]], the province of Gaul, where Avitus' power was based, did not recognize the new Emperor. When Majorian re-conquered the province, he chose to forgive this rebellion. The reason was that Majorian understood that one of the mistakes of his predecessor was to promote and trust only the senatorial aristocracy of Gaul, the region he came from, favouring it over the senatorial aristocracy of Italy.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name="ennodius" />

Majorian, instead, decided to gain the favour of the wealthy and noble families of the recovered province by involving them in the imperial administration, together with the Italian aristocracy that had supported him since the beginning. For evidence of this policy, one can point to the origins of the high civil servants of his administration, in particular of the [[Roman consul|consuls]], whom the Emperor appointed jointly with his Eastern colleague.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name="ennodius" />

In the first year (458) Majorian reserved the honour for himself, as was usual for the ''[[augustus|augusti]]'', while in the second year he appointed his former colleague and powerful ''[[magister militum]]'', [[Ricimer]]. Then, for the year 460, he choose the Gallic senator [[Magnus (consul 460)|Magnus]], and for the next year the Italian senator [[Severinus (consul 461)|Severinus]]. Magnus had been appointed [[Praetorian prefect of Gaul]] in 458, while the [[Praetorian prefect of Italy]] was [[Caecina Decius Basilius]], who was the patron of the Gallic senator (and poet) [[Sidonius Apollinaris]], while the ''comes privatae largitionis'', Ennodius, was related to a family with interests in [[Arelate]].<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name="ennodius" />

Majorian also showed great respect towards the Roman senate, as suggested by the message he addressed to it on the eve of his coronation: he promised the senators he would not take into account the accusations of informers, which were much feared as they might be used by the Emperor to cause the fall of influential figures.<ref name=novella1>''Novella Maioriani'' 1, ''De ortu imperii domini Majoriani Augusti'', "The Beginning of the Reign of Our Lord Majorian Augustus".</ref> He followed through on his promises, as told by Sidonius Apollinaris, who had been anonymously accused of the authorship of a pamphlet against some influential figures: during a dinner together, Majorian defused the risky situation with a witticism.<ref>This event took place in 461, and is recorded in a letter (''Letters'', I.11.2–15) of Apollinaris to a friend (Mathisen).</ref>

===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}}