ABSTRACT
The mid-sixth-century episcopal complex in Porec is probably best known for its cathedral, the Basilica Eufrasiana, aptly named after the bishop, Eufrasius, who was responsible for the construction of the complex. Any Late Antique episcopal complex typically consisted of three main parts: a cathedral, a baptistery, and a residence. Focusing on the episcopal complex of Porec, it will be argued here that episcopal residences adapted elements of imperial architectural vocabulary, such as the aula palatina, as well as triumphal/honorific arches. In order to represent the bishop as God's representative on earth and as the link between the congregation and the divine in a similar way to that which the Roman emperors used to highlight their own status vis-à-vis the gods and their people. Using the architectural vocabulary of imperial residences and employing in the hall of episcopal residence, Eufrasius drew heavily on known imperial formulae for the representation of power and was able to translate these into the ecclesiastical realm.
