How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower
Page 61
14. See also B. Ward-Perkins, in CAH2 XIV (2000), pp. 346-391 on the overall economic picture.
15. See A. Lee, in CAH2 XIV (2000), pp. 49-52, M. Whitby, in CAH2 XIV (2000), pp. 712-714, J. Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire from the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian (1958), pp. 389-396, 411-422 and A. Jones, The Later Roman Empire 284-602 (1964), pp. 224-227-
16. Bury (1958), PP. 397-400, and Jones (1965), pp. 228-229.
17- Jones (1965), pp. 230-337, Lee, in CAH2 XIV (2000), pp. 52-62, and Bury (1958), PP- 429-452; on the rebellion in Isauria against Anastasius, see F. Haarer, Anastasius L• Politics and Empire in the Late Roman World (20o6), pp. 11-28.
18. W. Treadgold, Byzantium and its Army, 284-1081 (1995), pp. 13-15, 149-157 on the army; for the administration, see in general C. Kelly, Ruling the Later Roman Empire (2004).
19. E.g., P. Heather, The Fall of the Roman Empire. A NewHhistory (2005), pp. 443-449•
zo. See Ward-Perkins (2005), pp. 57-62.
zi. See Heather (2005), pp. iio-115, discussing the pioneering work of G. Tchalenko, Villages Antiques de la Syrie du Nord (1953-1958); see also C. Roueche, in CAH2 XIV (2000), pp. 583-585, Ward-Perkins, in CAH1 XIV (2000), pp. 328-332, and esp. C. Foss, `Syria in Transition, AD 550-750: An Archaeological Approach', Dumbarton Oaks Papers, 51 (1997), pp. 189-269.
22. See Moorhead (2oo1), pp. 186-188.
23. Moorhead (1992), pp. 144-147•
24. On Clovis, see R. Collins, in CAHZ XIV (2ooo), p. 118.
z1-Rise and Fall
i. Nov. 30. 11. 2 (translation from J. Evans, The Age of Justinian: The Circumstances ofImperial Power (1996), p. 126).
2. On Anastasius, see F. Haarer, Anastasius I.• Politics and Empire in the Late Roman World (2006); on the succession, see J. Moorhead, Justinian (1994), pp. 14-18, Evans (1996), pp. 96-98, and J. Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire from the Death of Theodosius Ito the Death ofJustinian (1958), pp. 16-21; on his rise to power, see G. Greatrex, `The Early Years of Justin in the Sources', Electrum, 12 (2007), pp. 99-115; on his lack of education, see Procopius, Secret History 6. 19, t1. 5, 12. 29, and John Lydus, On the magistracies 3. 51.
3. Moorhead (1994), pp. 15-16, 17-18, zi-zz, Evans (1996), p. 97, M. Maas, `Roman Questions, Byzantine Answers: Contours of the Age of Justinian', in M. Maas (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to theAge ofJustinian (2005), PP- 327, esp. 5-6, Bury (1958), pp. 20-21, 23-27, and A. Cameron, in CAIN XIV (zooo), pp. 63-67; c£ Procopius, Wars 3. 9. 5•
4. Evans (1996), pp. 101-102, with Procopius, Secret History 30. 21-26.
5. J. Evans, The Empress Theodora: Partner ofJustinian (2002), pp. 13-24, and Evans (1996), pp. 98-ioi, and Moorhead (1994), pp. 19-21.
6. Moorhead (1994), PP. 38-40, Evans (1996), p. 104, 138, 145-146, 152, 196197, and Evans (2002), pp. 48-58; Procopius, Secret History 17. 32-36 tells of the three former actresses brought to live in the palace.
7. J. Howard-Johnston, `The Two Great Powers in Late Antiquity: A Comparison', in A. Cameron (ed.), The Byzantine and Early Islamic Near East III: States Resources and Armies (1995), pp. 157-226, also reprinted in A. HowardJohnston, Early Rome, Sassanian Persia and the End ofAntiquity (2006); see also G. Greatrex, `Byzantium and the East in the Sixth Century', in Maas (ed.) (2005), PP. 477-509, and Moorhead (1994), pp. 89-95.
8. G. Greatrex, Rome and Persia at War, 502-532 (1998), PP. 43-59.
9. Greatrex (1998), pp. 14-17 on the question of the Caspian Gates; for the Anastasian war see Greatrex (1998), pp. 73-119, with sources in G. Greatrex & S. Lieu, The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars: Part 2 AD 363-630 (2002), pp. 62-77-
io. Procopius, Wars 1. 11. 1-39, with Greatrex (1998), pp. 134-138.
ii. Greatrex (1998), pp. 139-221, with sources in Greatrex & Lieu (2002), pp. 8z-ioi; on Dara and Callinicum, see also J. Haldon, The Byzantine Wars (zoos), PP. 23-35, and A. Goldsworthy, In the Name of Rome (2003), PP. 363-371; an excellent article by C. Lillington-Martin, 'Archaeological and Ancient Literary Evidence for a Battle near Dara Gap, Turkey, AD 530', in A. Lewin & P. Pellegrini, (eds.), The Late Roman Army in the Near East from Diocletian to the Arab Conquest (Oxford, 2007), pp. 299-311.
12. Greatrex (2005), PP. 488-489, with Greatrex & Lieu (2002), pp. 102-111. 13. See P. Holden, `Mediterranean Plague in the Age of Justinian', in Maas (ed.) (2005), pp. 134-160, B. Ward-Perkins, in CAH2 XIV (2000), pp. 388-389, and Evans (1996), pp. 16o-165; one of the most famous and detailed contemporary accounts is Procopius, Wars 2. 22. 1-23. 21.
14. Greatrex & Lieu (2002), PP.ttt-134; on allies, see Greatrex (1998), pp. 25-31 and (2005), pp. 490-503.
15. Evans (1996), pp. 168-169.
16. On the size of armies see Howard-Johnston (1995), pp. 165-i69, and Greatrex (1998), pp. 31-34; on the Balkan frontier, see Moorhead (1994), PP. 145-162.
17. On the debate over risking the expedition to Africa, see Procopius, Wars 3. 10. 1-34.
18. On the Vandal War, see Moorhead (1994), pp. 64-70, and Evans (1996), pp. 126-133; for Justinian's western campaigns in general, seeW. Pohl, `Justinian and the Barbarian Kingdoms', in Maas (ed.) (2005), pp. 448-476, and G. Halsall, Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West, 376-568 (2007), pp. 499518; for the triumph, see Procopius, Wars 4. 9. 1-16.
19. See H. Wolfram, The Roman Empire and its Germanic Peoples (1997), PP- 2,24-227, M. Humphries, in CAH2 XIV (2000), pp. 533-535, and P. Heather, The Goths (1996), pp. 253-255.
zo. Moorhead (1994), pp. 72-86 and Evans (1996), pp. 139-151, 153-154, 199; see Procopius, Wars 7. 1. 31-33 on the career of the notorious Alexander `the scissors' for an example of the brutality of some of Justinian's officials, cf. A. Jones, The Later Roman Empire, 284-602 (1964), p. 289.
21. On army discipline, see Haldon (200,), pp. 24-28, and Goldsworthy (2003), pp. 370-376; for examples of poor discipline, see Procopius, Wars 4. 4. 3-7, 3. 23-4. 25, 14. 7-15. 49, 5. 8. 5-10, 28. 1-29. 50.
22. Evans (1996), pp. 176-181, Moorhead (1994), pp. 107-109, Wolfram (1997), PP. 233-239, and Haldon (2001), pp. 37-40.
23. Haldon (2001), pp. 40-44-
24. See Moorhead (1994), pp. 109-115, Evans (1996), pp. 265-266, and Humphries, in CAH2 XIV (2000), pp. 535-551.
25. For a discussion of administration and its failings and abuses, see Jones (1964), pp. 294-296; on friction caused to allies by the presence of Roman officials and troops one example is Lazica, for which seethe summary in Greatrex (2005), PP- 497-499-
z6. Moorhead (1994), pp. 40-49, Evans (1996), pp. 119-125, and (2002), pp. 40-47, and in detail, G. Greatrex, `The Nika Riot: A Reappraisal', Journal of Hellenic Studies, 117 (1997), pp. 60-86; the quotation comes from Procopius, Wars 1. 24. _37-
27. For Belisarius being offered the throne, see Procopius, Wars 6. 29. 1-20, with Moorhead (1994), pp. 85-86, and Evans (1996), p. 150; on Theodore's plot against John, see Evans (2002), pp. 54-56.
2,8. Evans (1996), pp. 44-46, 194-195, and C. Kelly, Ruling the Later Roman Empire (2004), pp. 83-85, 95-104.
29. C. Humfress, `Law and Legal Practice in the Age of Justinian', in Maas (ed.) (2005), pp. 161-184, Moorhead (1994), pp. 32-38, and D. Liebs, in CAH' XIV (2000), pp. 247-252.
30. For Justinian and the Church, see P. Gray, `The Legacy of Chalcedon: Christological Problems and Their Significance', in Maas (ed.) (2005), pp. 215238, C. Sotinel, `Emperors and Popes in the Sixth Century: The Western View', in Maas (ed.) (2005), pp. 267-290, Moorhead (1994), pp. 116-143, Evans (1996), pp. 183-192, and P. Allen in CAH2 XIV (2000), pp. 820-834.
31. Evans (1996), pp. 65-71, and C. Wildberg, `Philosophy on the Age of Justinian', in Maas (ed.) (2005), pp. 316-340.
32. See K. Holum, `The Classical City in the Sixth Century: Survival and Transformation', in Maas (ed.) (zoo5), pp. 87-112, and W. Liebeschuetz, The Decline and Fall of the Classical City (200,), pp. 223-248, 284-317; for eastern Roman culture and society in general C. Mango, Byzantium: The Empire of the New Rome (1980) presents a wide-ranging survey.
33. Mango (t98o), p. i.
34. On the period in general, see M. Whitby, in CAH' XIV (2ooo), pp. 86iii; on Justin's aggression against Persia, see Greatrex (2005), pp. 489-490-
35. On the fall of the Roman provinces to Persia and the Roman recovery, see the sources in Greatrex & Lieu (2002), pp. 182-228.
36. See J. Moorhead, The Roman Empire Divided 400-700 (2ooi), pp. 194-227, and F. Donner, `The Background to Islam', in Maas (ed.) (2005), pp. 510-533.
Conclusion - A Simple Answer
i. This theme is most fully explored in R. MacMullen, Corruption and Decline of Rome (1988).
2. E.g., J. Drinkwater, `The Principate - Lifebelt or Millstone Around the Neck of Empire?', in O. Hekster, G. Kleijn & D. Slootjes (eds.), Crises and the Roman Empire (2007), pp. 67-74-
Epilogue - An Even Simpler Moral
i. C. Murphy, Are We Rome? The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America (2007), passim, but esp. pp. 189-195; an earlier attempt at drawing clear lessons for the modern USA - then still engaged in the Cold War - is E. Luttwak, The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire from the First Century AD to the Third (1976).
2- I can remember over a decade ago working in a university and noticing a framed sign in the staff canteen. It was a mission statement, detailing the acceptable length of a queue and other vital details by which the success or failure of the management could be judged. Clearly, considerable effort had gone into the document, whose purpose was to make complicated the quite staggeringly obvious. Of course, it provided something to measure in place of an intelligent and informed impression.
Index
Table of Contents
List of Maps
List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction - The Big Question
PART ONE - Crisis? The Third Century
I The Kingdom of Gold
2 The Secret of Empire
3 Imperial Women
4 King of Kings
5 Barbarians
6 The Queen and the `Necessary' Emperor
7 Crisis
PART TWO - Recovery? The Fourth Century
8 The Four - Diocletian and the Tetrarchy
9 The Christian
io Rivals
ii Enemies
12 The Pagan
13 Goths
14 East and West
PART THREE - Fall? The Fifth and Sixth Centuries
15 Barbarians and Romans: Generals and Rebels
16 The Sister and the Eternal City
17 The Hun
18 Sunset on an Outpost of Empire
19 Emperors, Kings and Warlords
20 West and East
21 Rise and Fall
Conclusion - A Simple Answer
Epilogue - An Even Simpler Moral
Chronology
Glossary
Bibliography
Notes
Index
i. The Roman Empire in the late second century AD 30
z. The Eastern frontier 9o
3. The Third Century Crisis 112
4. The fourth century Empire 166
5. Julian's Persian Expedition 231
6. The empire of Valentinian and Valens 239
7. The Gothic War 2,56
8. Alaric's movements including the sack of Rome 297
9. The initial barbarian invasions in the fifth century 308
io. The Balkan frontier 321
ii. The Saxon Shore forts 342
12. The Barbarian kingdoms in Gaul 357
13. Europe and North Africa in the early sixth century 371
14. Justinian's Empire showing the western conquests 395
i. Family tree of Septimius Severus 72