Lee: War in Late Antiquity 0631229254_4_001 Final Proof page 41 19.4.2007 6:41pm Compositor Name: ARaju
EMPERORS AND WARFARE
In the early fifth century, Cyrus of Panopolis wrote a short encomium of Theodosius II in which he likened him to a range of Homeric heroes, including Achilles (Greek Anthology 15.9). Another, even more fragmentary, papyrus preserves a hexameter encomium which may well relate to Zeno’s suppression of the revolt of Illus in the 480s (MacCail 1978). Although the panegyrics of Priscian and Procopius for Anastasius focused mainly on the emperor’s non-military achievements, they gave some attention to the Isaurian war and how ‘‘the army of the invincible emperor, favored in arms, and its generals, no less powerful in their loyalty than in their courage, brought utter ruin on those they killed and put to flight’’ (Priscian Panegyric 63–5; cf. Procopius of Gaza Panegyric 7–10, Greek Anthology 9.656). An anonymous epigram looked forward to the Persians, Saracens, and Huns being defeated by Anastasius, ‘‘whom time brought into the world to outshine even Trajan’’ (Greek Anthology 9.210). The introduction to Agathias’ collection of epigrams also celebrated Justinian’s military prowess (cf. Viljamaa 1968: 60–2): Let no barbarian, freeing himself from the yoke-strap that passes under his neck, dare to fix his gaze on our king, the mighty warrior; nor let any weak Persian woman raise her veil and look straight at him, but, kneeling on the ground and bending the proud arch of her neck, let her come uncalled and submit to Roman justice . . . Go now, thou Roman traveller, unescorted over the whole continent and leap in triumph . . . You will be amid the possessions of our wise king, whichever way you progress, since he has encompassed the world in his dominion. (Greek Anthology 4.3, lines 47–52, 77–8, 93–6 [tr. Paton])
Writing as he was for a newly enthroned emperor who had no military experience, Corippus might have been excused for the omission of any military references in his panegyric for Justin II, but he managed to use his description of Justin’s accession attire adeptly to sidestep this seemingly insurmountable obstacle: He put on his royal limbs the red thongs . . . with which the victorious Roman emperor tramples conquered kings and tames barbarian necks. Only emperors, under whose feet is the blood of kings, can adopt this attire . . . The robe, which was adorned with tawny gold and outdid the sun as the emperor stretched out his right hand, covered the imperial shoulders in glowing purple. A golden brooch fastened the joins with its curving bite, and from the ends of chains hung jewels which the fortunate victory in the Gothic war produced and which Ravenna, loyal to our rulers, brought back, and which Belisarius carried from the Vandal court. The indications of your triumphs, pious Justinian, will remain while Justin is safe and rules the world. (Corippus In Praise of Justin II 2.105–27 [tr. Cameron])
The most detailed surviving examples of such literature, however, comprise the poetry of George of Pisidia celebrating the achievements of 41