Simon Corcoran

Simon J.J. Corcoran
Simon Corcoran in 2003, Knap of Howar
Alma mater	St John's College, Oxford
Occupation	Historian
Employer	Newcastle University
Known for	Roman Law
Website	http://www.roman-empire.co.uk

Simon Corcoran (/ˈkɔːrkərən/ KOR-kər-ən) is a British ancient historian and lecturer in ancient history within the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Newcastle University.[1]

Corcoran was a senior research fellow at University College, London from 1999 to 2015. He received his D.Phil. from St John's College, Oxford in 1992. He was awarded the Henryk Kupiszewski Prize[2] for his book The Empire of the Tetrarchs in 1998.[3] At University College he worked on 'Projet Volterra',[4] an extensive on-line public database of law (Roman, Germanic or ‘barbarian’, and ecclesiastical) for the period AD193–900.

From 2014 Corcoran has been a member of the Steering Committee of the British Epigraphy Society.[1][5] He is a Consulting Editor for the Journal of Late Antiquity and a Scientific Advisor for Revue Antiquité tardive.[6][7] From 2006 to 2009 he served on the Council of the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies and on the council for the British Institute at Ankara from 2011 to 2015.[1][8][9][10][11]

In 2016 Corcoran was a member of the panel for BBC Radio 4's In Our Time episode on Justinian's Legal Code with Caroline Humfress and Paul du Plessis.[12]

Gregorian Code discovery

In 2010 the Volterra database was used by Corcoran and Salway to identify previously unknown fragments of the Gregorian Code. The "Fragmenta Londiniensia" are seventeen pieces of parchment estimated to date from AD400, the document having been cut up and re-used as book-binding material. This is the first direct evidence yet discovered of the Gregorian Codex.[13][14][15][16][17]

Bibliography of works

Books

Greed is a motive everyone can understand. Lactantius includes greed and avarice as a notable part of the tetrarchic maladministration practised by Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Maximinus, and indeed the cause of the inflation the edict seeks to curb. Thus it is Diocletian's greed that gives rise to the Prices Edict itself.

— Simon Corcoran, Empire of the Tetrarchs

• Frier, Bruce W; Connolly, Serena; Corcoran, Simon; Crawford, Michael Hewson (2016), The Codex of Justinian : a new annotated translation with parallel Latin and Greek text. [Vol. 3, Books VIII-XII], Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-1107119826
• Corcoran, Simon (2000), The Empire of the Tetrarchs, Imperial Pronouncements and Government AD 284–324 (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-815304-X

Selected publications

• Corcoran, Simon (2016). "The Würzburg fragment of Justinian's constitutions for the administration of recovered Africa". In Freu, C.; Janniard, S.; Ripoll, A. (eds.). Libera curiositas. Mélanges d'histoire romaine et d'Antiquité tardive offerts à Jean-Michel Carrié. Brepols. pp. 96–113. ISBN 9782503566757. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016.
• Corcoran, Simon (2016). "Roman law in Ravenna". In Herrin, J; Nelson, J (eds.). Ravenna: Its Role in Earlier Medieval Change and Exchange. Institute of Historical Research. pp. 163–197. ISBN 9781909646148.
• Corcoran, Simon; Salway, Benet; Crawford, Michael (2016). "Sixth Book, First to Twentieth Titles". In Frier, B (ed.). The Codex of Justinian. A New Annotated Translation with Parallel Latin and Greek Text. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1407–1485. ISBN 9780521196826.
• Corcoran, Simon (2015). "The Augusti and Caesars say: Imperial communication in a collegiate monarchy". Official Epistolography and the Language(s) of Power. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference of the Research Network Imperium and Officium. Vienna: Verlag. pp. 219–236. ISBN 9783700177050.
• Corcoran, Simon (2015). "From unholy madness to right-mindedness: or how to legislate for religious conformity from Decius to Justinian". Conversion in Late Antiquity: Christianity, Islam, and Beyond: Papers from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Sawyer Seminar, University of Oxford, 2009-2010. Routledge. pp. 67–94. ISBN 9781409457381.
• Corcoran, Simon (2015). "Hincmar and his Roman legal sources". Hincmar of Rheims. Manchester University Press. pp. 129–155.
• Corcoran, Simon (2014). "State correspondence in the Roman Empire: Imperial communication from Augustus to Justinian". In Radner, Karen (ed.). State Correspondence in the Ancient World. Oxford Studies in Early Empires. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 172–209. ISBN 978-0-19-935477-1.
• Corcoran, Simon (2013), "The Gregorianus and Hermogenianus assembled and shattered", Mélanges de l'École Française de Rome. Antiquité (125–2), Mélanges de l’École française de Rome - Antiquité (20131218), doi:10.4000/mefra.1772, ISSN 0223-5102
• Corcoran, Simon (2012), "Grappling with the Hydra: co-ordination and conflict in the management of Tetrarchic succession", in Bonamente, Giorgio; Lenski, Noel Emmanuel; Testa, Rita Lizzi (eds.), Costantino prima e dopo Costantino (Constantine before and after Constantine), Munera, 35 (in Italian), Edipuglia, ISBN 978-8872286777
• Corcoran, S; Salway, B (2010), "A lost law-code rediscovered? The Fragmenta Londiniensia Anteiustiniana" (PDF), Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte: Romanistische Abteilung, 127, Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte: Romanistische Abteilung, v127 n1: 677–678, doi:10.7767/zrgra.2010.127.1.677, ISSN 0323-4096, S2CID 62599279
• Corcoran, Simon (2009), "Anastasius, Justinian, and the Pagans: A Tale of Two Law Codes and a Papyrus", Journal of Late Antiquity, 2.2 (Fall) (2): 183–208, doi:10.1353/jla.0.0049, ISSN 1939-6716, S2CID 162324086
• Corcoran, Simon (2009), "After Kruger: Observations on some additional or revised Justinian Code headings and subscripts" (PDF), Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte: Romanistische Abteilung, 126, H. Böhlau: 423, doi:10.7767/zrgra.2009.126.1.423, ISSN 0323-4096, OCLC 440690826, S2CID 161586399
• Corcoran, Simon (2009), "New subscripts for old rescripts: The Vallicelliana fragments of Justinian Code Book VII" (PDF), Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte: Romanistische Abteilung, 126, H. Böhlau: 401, doi:10.7767/zrgra.2009.126.1.401, ISSN 0323-4096, OCLC 440690823, S2CID 62573957
• Corcoran, Simon (2007), "Two tales, two cities: Antinoopolis and Nottingham", in Drinkwater, John; Salway, Benet (eds.), Wolf Liebeschuetz reflected: Essays presented by Colleagues, Friends, and Pupils, BICS Supplement 91, University of London, School of Advanced Study, Institute of Classical Studies, pp. 193–209, ISBN 978-1-905670-04-8
• Corcoran, Simon (2006), "The Tetrarchy: policy and image as reflected in imperial pronouncements", in Boschung, Dietrich; Eck, Werner (eds.), Die Tetrarchie: Ein neues Regierungssystem und seine mediale Präsentation, ZAKMIRA Schriften 3, Reichert Verlag: Wiesbaden, pp. 31–61, ISBN 3-89500-510-X
• Corcoran, Simon (2006), "Emperor and citizen in the era of Constantine", in Hartley, Elizabeth; Hawkes, Jane; Henig, Martin; Mee, Frances (eds.), Constantine the Great: York's Roman Emperor, Lund Humphries, pp. 41–51, ISBN 0-85331-928-6, retrieved 4 December 2013
• Corcoran, Simon (2006), "Before Constantine", in Lenski, Noel (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine, Cambridge University Press, pp. 35–58, ISBN 978-0-521-52157-4
• Corcoran, Simon (2000), "The sins of the fathers: a neglected constitution of Diocletian on incest", Journal of Legal History, 21 (2), Routledge: 1–34, doi:10.1080/01440362108539607, ISSN 0144-0365, OCLC 199222568, S2CID 144266968

See also

• Professor Michael Crawford
• Benet Salway

Footnotes

1. "Staff Profile - History, Classics and Archaeology, School of - Newcastle University". Ncl.ac.uk. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
2. Relazione della Commissione giudicatrice del "Quarto premio romanistico internazionale Gérard Boulvert" (PDF) (in Italian), 1998, Il Premio del Centro Romanistico Internazionale "Copanello", intitolato ad Henryk KUPISZEWSKI e destinato a contribuire alla maggior diffusione del diritto romano, al volume di Simon Corcoran, The Empire of the Tetrarchs, ... avendo formulato su di essa il seguente giudizio: "Importante opera sulla produzione normativa dell'età dioclezianea, che si fa apprezzare per il sapiente uso delle fonti e la chiarezza dell'esposizione"
3. "Staff page at UCL". Archived from the original on 19 April 2009.
4. Project Volterra, University College London, 2000, ISBN 9780198153047, OCLC 44255728, archived from the original on 29 October 2010, Presents Project Volterra, one of the Research Projects of the British Academy that is based in the History Department of University College London. Explains that the aim of the project is to promote the study of Roman legislation in its full social, political, and legal context.
5. "Steering Committee". The British Epigraphy Society. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
6. "Journal of Late Antiquity". Project MUSE. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
7. "Revue Antiquité tardive". Association pour l’Antiquité tardive. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
8. "Law and Empire, AD 193–455: The Project Volterra", Athenaeum (in Italian), 91, no. 2: Amministrazione di Athenæum, Università: 725, 2003, ISBN 9780198153047, ISSN 0004-6574, OCLC 98047545
9. Kaiser, Wolfgang (2009), "Project Volterra II (Law and the End of the Empire), Colloquium 2: Authorities and Subjects and Manuals and Jurisprudence, London, UC, 15.-16. September 2008", Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte: Romanistische Abteilung (in German), 126, H. B̐ưohlau: 682, doi:10.7767/zrgra.2009.126.1.682, ISSN 0323-4096, OCLC 440690917, S2CID 112925949
10. "Journal of Late Antiquity". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
11. "Home". BIAA. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
12. "In Our Time: Justinian's Legal Code". BBC Radio 4. November 2016.
    • Extended podcast version: link
13. Pearse, Roger (27 January 2010). "Lost Roman legal text found". Retrieved 27 January 2010.
14. Lost Roman law code discovered in London, Arts and Humanities Research Council, 28 January 2010, archived from the original (Podcast) on 14 March 2010, retrieved 28 January 2010
15. Jack, Malcolm (28 January 2010). "Cracking the codex: Long lost Roman legal document discovered". The Independent. These fragments are the first direct evidence of the original version of the Gregorian Code. Our preliminary study confirms that it was the pioneer of a long tradition that has extended down into the modern era and it is ultimately from the title of this work, and its companion volume the Codex Hermogenianus, that we use the term 'code' in the sense of 'legal rulings'.
16. Kennedy, Maev (28 January 2010). "Experts identify scraps of lost Roman law text: Copy of the Gregorian Code, which was first drafted in AD300, had been chopped up and used to cover medieval book". The Guardian. The fragments were bought by a private collector at a sale in London. After failing either to translate the script or identify the subject, he circulated photocopies which eventually reached Salway and Corcoran.
17. Rachel Kaufman (10 February 2010). "Lost Roman Codex Fragments Found in Book Binding". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2010.

External links

• Volterra Project at UCL (2008 archive version)
• Bryn Mawr Classical Review 97.8.4 Review of The Empire of the Tetrarchs
• Corcoran, Simon. "An explanation of the ancient Roman stele at Kiparissos, Greece" (video). YouTube. Retrieved 16 December 2009.