Justinian's reign saw the continued slow and ongoing process of transformation of the Byzantine Empire, as the traditions inherited from the ancient Latin Roman state were gradually being eroded. This is most clearly seen in the coinage of Justinian's reign, which saw the reintroduction of the Loros, the traditional consular costume that had not been seen on Imperial coinage for a century, while the office itself had not been celebrated for nearly half a century.Grypeou, Emmanouela (2006). The encounter of Eastern Christianity with early Islam, BRILL, 2006, p. 69 This was linked to Justinian's decision to unify the office of consul with that of emperor, thus making the Emperor the head of state not only de facto but also de jure. Although the office of the consulate would continue to exist until Emperor Leo VI the Wise formally abolished it with Novel 94, it was Justinian who effectively brought the consulate as a separate political entity to an end. He was formally appointed as Consul in 686,Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book V (Chapter VII) and from that point, Justinian II adopted the title of consul for all the Julian years of his reign, consecutively numbered.
