Research Catalog

Title

Justinian's men : careers and relationships of Byzantine army officers, 518-610 / David Alan Parnell.

Author

Parnell, David Alan

Publication

• London : Palgrave Macmillan, [2017]
• ©2017

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xi, 228 pages : illustrations; 22 cm.

Summary

This book explores the professional and social lives of the soldiers who served in the army of the Byzantine Empire in the sixth century. More than just a fighting force, this army was the setting in which hundreds of thousands of men forged relationships and manoeuvred for promotion. The officers of this force, from famous generals like Belisarius and Narses to lesser-known men like Buzes and Artabanes, not only fought battles but also crafted social networks and cultivated their relationships with their emperor, fellow officers, families, and subordinate soldiers. Looming in the background were differences in identity, particularly between Romans and those they identified as barbarians. Drawing on numerical evidence and stories from sixth-century authors who understood the military, Justinian's Men highlights a sixth-century Byzantine army that was vibrant, lively, and full of individuals working with and against each other.

Series Statement

New approaches to Byzantine history and culture

Uniform Title

New approaches to Byzantine history and culture.

Subjects

• Byzantine Empire
• Armies
• 527-1081
• Military history
• History
• Byzantine Empire > Stratos
• Byzantine Empire > History, Military > 527-1081
• Social networks > Byzantine Empire
• Armies > Byzantine Empire > History

Genre/Form

• History.
• Military history.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-219) and index.

Contents

• The Effectiveness of the Army Chapter 9: Conclusion; Bibliography; Secondary Sources; Primary Sources; Index.
• Chapter 6: Officers and Their Families Examples of Family Military Service; Implications of Family Service; Wives and Children of Justinian's Men; Chapter 7: Officers and Their Men; Positive Descriptions of Individual Soldiers; Neutral Descriptions of Individual Soldiers; Negative Descriptions of Individual Soldiers; The Grievances of Soldiers Against Officers; Were There Relationships Between Officers and Soldiers?; Chapter 8: Public Perception of the Army; The Opinions of Soldiers and Officers; The Opinions of Average Civilians; The Opinions of Elite Civilian Authors.
• Did Cultural Distinctions Impact Relationships in the Army? Romans Working with Barbarians; Chapter 4: Officers and Their Emperor; Appointment: Gaining a Position; Review: Keeping a Position; Moving On: Promotion, Transfer or Dismissal; The Goals of Emperor and Officers; Chapter 5: The Social Networks of Officers; Belisarius and Narses in Italy, 538-539; Populating the Social Networks in Italy, 538-539; Interpreting the Social Networks in Italy, 538-539; Other Instances of Social Networks in Justinian's Army; Explaining Social Networks in the Reign of Justinian.
• Acknowledgements; Contents; List of Figures; List of Table; Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: Byzantine Army Structure; Basic Divisions; Size andUnits; Ranks andPositions; Recruitment in the Sixth-Century Army; Promotion; Chapter 3: Identity in the Army: Romans and Barbarians; The Distinction Between Romans and Barbarians; Laws and Institutions; Religion and Language; Customs; Proportion of Romans and Barbarians in the Army; Ranks of Romans and Barbarian Officers in the Army; Did Cultural Distinctions Impact Careers in the Army?

ISBN

• 113756203X
• 9781137562036
• 1137562048
• 9781137562043
• 9781137562043 (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

2016956194

OCLC

• ocn968167948
• 968167948
• SCSB-1873216

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library