Recuperata re publica: Julian, Serdica, and the Civic Promotion of an Emperor in Late 361/Early 362 C.E.

In 361 c.e., the Roman Emperor Julian engaged in a civil war with his cousin and Augustan superior, Constantius II. It is well-known that Julian at this time focused, in part, on managing his public image in the Balkans by disseminating an open letter to the community at Athens, among others, which he wrote at Naissus (Niš) in a bid to seek public support against Constantius. However, Roman cities themselves could also play a role in managing an emperor's image, such as by erecting miliaria or milestones dedicated to him, which, I will argue, served as a public, practical, and prominent means for promoting Julian's post-Constantius imperial profile in Illyricum and Thrace in late 361/early 362. My focus here is on a series of nine (fragmentary) columns dedicated to Julian from the municipal territory of Serdica (Sofia) that have hitherto not been identified as belonging to the same series and studied as such. Consequently, I consider the function of these milestones with their Latin inscriptions and what they contribute to our understanding of Julian as sole emperor and his relationship with Serdica after civil war.