International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Qiang Li
Northeast Normal University, School of History and Culture, Changchun, China; 
[e-mail]
Review on the Research about the Age of Justinian in China
The Age of Justinian is the first “Golden Age” in the Byzantine Empire and also the time for 
the transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean world. In this period, the 
Mediterranean Sea again became “Mare Nostrum”, and the empire arrived at its peak in military, politics, 
legislation, and literature. Because of the aforesaid causes, it has always been the focus of Byzantine 
scholars, so does in China. Through more than 30 years’ development, Byzantine studies in China have 
grown to be a relatively mature discipline, and a number of scholars are working on different aspects 
of Byzantine history. According to the data until the April, 2016, Chinese Byzantinists have published 
more than 50 papers (and theses), 3 monographs, and 3 translated works of sources concerning this 
era, as well as several on-going projects. It shows the high interest of Chinese Byzantinists on the Age 
of Justinian. In this paper, the author proposes to summarize and analyze the characteristics of these 
research and figure out the trend of the research on this era in China, so as to introduce the condition 
and development of the Chinese Byzantine studies to the international circle of Byzantine studies, and 
hopefully some cooperation between Chinese Byzantinists and international academy will be made 
for promoting the research on the Age of Justinian.
Vadim Serov
Altay State University, Barnaul, Russian Federation; 
[e-mail]
On the Modern Research Methods of Early Byzantium: 
New Prospects for Old Theme 
(The Imperial Finances from the Late 6
th
to the Middle of the 7
th
Centuries)
There is currently amongst Byzantine historians the great interest in the problems of finances. 
But the study of theme of the Early-Byzantine finances in “transition period” between Late Antiquity 
and Early Middle Ages has been insufficiently explored. Leading specialists on Byzantine finances 
have heretofore given particular attention only to the “financial sector” of government institutions 
or to problems of the development of economic departments. Traditionally, much attention was 
paid to financial administration, i.e. to static institutions of financial system, not dynamic elements 
of real financial policy.
In modern historiography the study of the finances in the end of Early Byzantium became 
multi-aspect, but the subject in whole remain insufficiently explored. Detailed picture of imperial 
finances is lacking in fact.

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Subject of the research must be investigated systematically. Such an approach would elucidate 
the financial ramifications of all known the measures taken by the Byzantine government in various 
spheres throughout the named epoch: administration, army, building erection, social and religion 
relations, foreign policy, diplomacy etc.
It will be necessary to enlarge the concept of Byzantine finances, adding new aspects of study, 
in particular financial policy, to the traditional ones. This enlargement of the subject matter would 
involve an interdisciplinary approach, whereby other branches of scholarship would be taken into 
account. For example, the use of economic terminology and methods permits a different structure 
and can enlarge the historian’s sphere of study, even of traditional subject matter.
Besides, the approach taken must respect the division of historical periods. Whilst comparisons 
may always be drawn, one must avoid indiscriminately mixing data from different periods, even if 
they pertain to the same phenomenon.
In as much as finances and taxation are complicated systems, such a systematic approach, with 
the analysis of functional inter-relation is the most fruitful method of examination, and this, in 
turn, entails structural, functional and typological approaches to the study of financial policy.
The systematic and critical analysis of the various sources is to be supplemented with a 
methodology of dividing administrative and political microstructures. When studying financial 
policy, micro structuring allows the classification of data from the various sources.
Use is also to be made of the principles of historical and social psychology, as well as elements 
of the methods known as “historical anthropology” adopted from the school sometimes called “new 
historical science”.
Moreover, the special terminology of economics, medicine and sociology is to be employed. 
The application of notions and terms common in contemporary society but unknown in the past 
allows for the understanding of past events.
Thus, the theme of the Early-Byzantine finances in the late of 6
th
to the middle of the 7
th
century 
necessary to study through systematic analysis of the data from the various historical sources, the 
critical analysis of the literature and the application of new methods and approaches

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