Roman Campaigns and Negotiations in the East, 542–545

• Authors: Geoffrey Greatrex

Abstracts

EN

This article seeks to support the earlier dating of campaigns on the Roman eastern frontier in the 540s. It addresses points made in a recent contribution by Michael Whitby, who argued that the traditional chronology, which places a Roman invasion of Persarmenia in 543 and a Persian siege of Edessa in 544, should be retained. The article seeks to demonstrate that the grounds he offers are inadequate and concludes therefore that the earlier dating, according to which the Romans invaded Persarmenia in autumn 542 and the Persians besieged Edessa in 543, is to be preferred.

Keywords

EN

Procopius; Justinian; Roman campaigns; eastern frontier; 5th century

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Łódzki. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
• Journal: Studia Ceranea
• Year: 2021
• Volume: 11
• Pages: 569-578

Dates

published

2021

Contributors

author

Geoffrey Greatrex

• University of Ottawa, Deptartment of Classics & Religious Studies, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5

• https://orcid.org/000000020099715X

References

• Agathiae Myrinaei Historiarum libri quinque, ed. R. Keydell, Berolini 1967 [= Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae, Series Berolinensis, 2].
• Agathias, The Histories, trans. J.D. Frendo, Berlin–New York 1975 [= Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae, Series Berolinensis, 2A].
• The Chronicle of Joshua the Stylite, ed. et trans. W. Wright, Cambridge 1882.
• The Chronicle of Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite, trans. et comm. F.R. Trombley, J.W. Watt, Liverpool 2000 [= Translated Texts for Historians, 32].
• Flavii Cresconii Corippi Iohannidos, ed. J. Diggle, F.R.D. Goodyear, Cambridge 1970.
• Procopius, Bella, vol. I, ed. J. Haury, rev. G. Wirth, Leipzig 1964.
• Procopius of Caesarea, The Persian Wars, trans. G. Greatrex, Cambridge 2022 [forthcoming].
• Prokopiusz z Cezarei, Historia Wojen, vol. I, trans. D. Brodka, Kraków 2013.
• Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite, [in:] Incerti Auctoris Chronicon Pseudo-Dionysianum vulgo dictum, vol. I, ed. J.B. Chabot, Louvain 1927 [= Corpus scriptorum christianorum orientalium. Scriptores Syri, 43], p. 235–316.
• Börm H., Prokop und die Perser. Untersuchungen zu den römisch-sasanidischen Kontakten in der ausgehenden Spätantike, Stuttgart 2007 [= Oriens et Occidens, 16].
• Greatrex G., Procopius’ Persian Wars. A Historical Commentary, Cambridge 2022 [forthcoming].
• Greatrex G., Recent Work on Procopius and the Composition of Wars VIII, “Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies” 27, 2003, p. 45–67 https://doi.org/10.1179/byz.2003.27.1.45
• Greatrex G., Rome and Persia at War, 502–532, Leeds 1998.
• Greatrex G., Lieu S.N.C., The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars, A.D. 363–630, London 2002.
• Kislinger E., Stathakopoulos D., Pest und Perserkriege bei Prokop. Chronologische Überlegungen zum Geschehen, 540–545, “Byzantion” 69, 1999, p. 76–98.
• Meier M., The ‘Justinianic Plague’: the Economic Consequences of the Pandemic in the Eastern Roman Empire and its Cultural and Religious Effects, “Early Medieval Europe” 24, 2016, p. 267–292 https://doi.org/10.1111/emed.12152
• Mitford T.B., East of Asia Minor. Rome’s Hidden Frontier, vol. I–II, Oxford 2018.
• Nechaeva E., Embassies – Negotiations – Gifts. Systems of East Roman Diplomacy in Late Antiquity, Stuttgart 2014.
• Pfeilschifter R., Theisz J., A Commentary on Procopius’ Anecdota, Berlin 2022 [forthcoming].
• Pottier B., L’empereur Justinien survivant à la peste bubonique, “Travaux et mémoires” 16, 2010, p. 685–691.
• Ramsay A.M., The Speed of the Roman Imperial Post, “Journal of Roman Studies” 15, 1925, p. 60–74 https://doi.org/10.2307/295601
• Sarris P., Climate and Disease, [in:] A Companion to the Global Early Middle Ages, ed. M. Hermans, Leeds 2020, p. 511–537 https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvz0h9cf.24
• Scott R., Diplomacy in the Sixth Century: the Evidence of John Malalas, [in:] Byzantine Diplomacy, ed. J. Shepard, S. Franklin, Aldershot 1992, p. 159–165.
• Segal J.B., Edessa, “The Blessed City”, Oxford 1970.
• The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. III, ed. J.R. Martindale, Cambridge 1992.
• Tuplin C., The Seasonal Migration of Achaemenid Kings: a Report on Old and New Evidence, [in:] Studies in Persian History. Essays in Memory of David M. Lewis, ed. M. Brosius, A.T. Kuhrt, Leiden 1998, p. 63–114.
• Whitby M., The Emperor Maurice and his Historian, Oxford 1988.
• Whitby M., Procopius’ Missing Year, “Byzantion” 91, 2021, p. 413–421.

Identifiers

DOI

10.18778/2084-140X.11.29

Biblioteka Nauki

2027683