On the ‘Belgrade’ Origin of the Roman Emperor Jovian
O „beogradskom” poreklu rimskog cara Jovijana

Summary/Abstract: The narrative of Serbia as the birthplace of numerous Roman emperors is a popular, yet in many ways controversial, theme within the domestic heritage discourse. Among the many rulers included in this narrative is Emperor Jovian (363–364), unique in that his birthplace is identified as Singidunum (modern Belgrade). This paper examines both the reception of Jovian’s “Belgrade” origin in contemporary Serbian society and the evidence upon which this claim is based. The aim of such a critical review is to highlight the fundamental problems that have accompanied this narrative in recent decades, illustrated here through the case of Jovian. The paper begins with general information about the history of the narrative and the ideological connotations it entails. It then turns to an overview of Jovian’s life and reign in order to provide historical context for the discussion. This is followed by a presentation of selected cases in which Jovian’s figure has been invoked, demonstrating that the emperor’s name occasionally surfaces within the heritage discourse of the capital even today. Examples include sensationalist tabloid articles, interviews given to the media by experts in archaeology, and the fact that a street in Belgrade currently bears Jovian’s name. Singidunum has been assumed to be Jovian’s place of origin on the basis of Epitome de Caesaribus by Pseudo-Aurelius Victor, which states that the emperor was an incola agri Singidonensis. At present, Epitome de Caesaribus is the only known late antique text in which this information appears. An analysis of the word incola shows that in Jovian’s time the term primarily denoted residence rather than nativity. This perspective does not call for rejecting the possibility that Jovian was indeed born in the vicinity of Singidunum, but rather points to the need to question some of the established claims and to avoid presenting them to the wider public without caution.

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