Overview
- Explores the professional and social lives of Byzantine soldiers
- Analyses the relationships between the men, their families and their superiors
- Explores differences in identity between Romans and 'barbarians'
Part of the book series: New Approaches to Byzantine History and Culture (NABHC)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (9 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
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.
Reviews
“Parnell has produced an innovative inquiry on the Byzantine army, adding a new kind of approach to the large bibliography on the subject, interesting for both Byzantine studies and general military history.” (Alexandru Madgearu, Speculum, Vol. 95 (2), 2020)
“The strength of this book is that it uses social network theory plus an in depth analysis of the literary sources to assess the impact of social relationships behind military operations and the often-fraught relationship between general officers and emperors. … This book is easy to read and is useful not only for understanding the relationships between the military and the imperial government in late antiquity but also for a source for military history in general.” (Elizabeth Buchanan, Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR), bmcr.brynmawr.edu, March 27, 2019)
“Parnell’s book gives a magisterial sketch of the key aspects of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine army in the sixth century. Readers will be especially keen to make use of the material he discusses as well as his case-studies … .” (MISCHA MEIER, English Historical Review HER, Vol. 134 (566), February, 2019)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
David Alan Parnell is Assistant Professor of History at Indiana University Northwest, USA. He has published numerous journal articles on the sixth-century Byzantine Empire and is also an award-winning teacher.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Justinian's Men
Book Subtitle: Careers and Relationships of Byzantine Army Officers, 518-610
Authors: David Alan Parnell
Series Title: New Approaches to Byzantine History and Culture
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56204-3
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: History, History (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-56203-6Published: 15 November 2016
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-85085-3Published: 02 March 2019
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-56204-3Published: 02 November 2016
Series ISSN: 2730-9363
Series E-ISSN: 2730-9371
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XI, 228
Topics: History of Medieval Europe, History of the Middle East, Political History