Julian the Apostate and the episcopalis audientia

Abstract

Starting from the understanding of the episcopalis audientia as a special type of arbitration, this work offers a reasonable interpretation of the meaning of three texts (Iul. ep. 114.437a, Greg. Nac. or. 4.96 and Sozom. hist. eccl. 5.18.1) that seemed to support prima facie the idea that Julian the Apostate abolished the
civil jurisdiction allegedly attributed to the bishops by Constantine.

Keywords: episcopalis audientia; Julian the Apostate; Christians.