The Frontier Garrisons of the Later Roman Isauria in the mid-4th Century: on a Treatment of “The Life of St. Conon the Isaurian”
Keywords:
Ammianus Marcellinus, Isauria, St. Conon the Isaurian, count, frontier garrisons, inscriptionsAbstract
The Res Gestae of Ammianus Marcellinus, a basic account of the Late Roman military history in the 4th century, including also events in the province of Isauria during 354–359, does not contain a detailed description of Isauria’s local frontier garrisons, which defended the province from the mountain and uncivilized tribes of the Isaurians. However, epigraphy (an inscription mentioning Bassidius Lauricius, a governor of Isauria) and hagiography (“The Life of St. Conon the Isaurian”) together with Ammianus Marcellinus’ account enable to extend our knowledge about the local garrisons of Isauria during that turbulent time. Based on these sources, the author considers a way of interaction between the local Isaurian garrisons and expeditionary (external) troops, who came to Isauria to more effectively defend it against the mountain Isaurians. The author tries to show how this interaction influenced the Isauria’s defence system. As the author supposes, up to 359, Isauria had no any new military detachments – a defence system of the province consisted of Isaurias’ local garrisons exclusively, which were composed as early as in the late 3d century. The garrisons were filled with Isauria’s inhabitants, but, because of their small strength and little effectiveness, they could not resist the incursions of the Isaurian tribes. Only in 359, Isauria received new expeditionary troops, who came from outside of Isauria and were subordinated to Bassidius Lauricius. Therefore, Bassidius Lauricius became a first governor of Isauria who combined two branches of power: military and civilian.doi 10.17072/2219-3111-2019-2-62-67References
Библиографический список
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References
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Christol, M., Drew-Bear, Th. (1999), “Antioche de Pisidie capital provinciale et l’œuvre de M. Valerius Diogenes”, Antiquité Tardive, Vol. 7, pp. 39–71.
Feissel, D. (1998), “Vicaires et proconsuls d’Asie du IV e au VI e siècle: remarques sur l’administration du diocèse Asianique au Bas-Empire”, Antiquité Tardive, Vol. 6, pp. 91–104.
Feld, K. (2005), Barbarische Bürger. Die Isaurier und Römische Reich, De Gruyter, Berlin, Deutschland, 411 p.
Halkin, F. (1935), “Publications récentes de textes hagiographiques grecs”, Analecta Bollandiana, Vol. 53, pp. 366–381.
Jones, A.H.M., Martindale, J.R., Morris, J. (1971), The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. I (AD 260–395), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1152 p.
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Мekhamadiev, Е.А. (2015), “The Isaurian units of the East Roman Army in the 4 th – the first half of the 5 th Centruries]”, Vizantiyskiy Vremennik, Vol. 74 (99), pp. 15–30.
Pottier, B. (2005), “Banditisme et révolte en Isaurie au IV e et V e siècles vus par les Isauriens eux-mêmes. La Vie de saint Conon”, Mediterraneo antico. Economie, società, culture, Vol. 8/2, pp. 443–474.
Seyfarth, W. (ed.) (1978), Ammiani Marcellini Rerum gestarum libri qui supersunt, Vol. I: libri XIV–XXV, B.G. Teubner, Lipsiae, Deutschland, 380 p.
Shaw, B. (1990), “Bandit Highlands and Lowland Peace: The Mountains of Isauria-Cilicia (Continued)”, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, Vol. 33/3, pp. 237–270.
Stauner, K. (2010), “Der cornicularius in den Büros der comitalen und ducalen Kommandeure in der Notitia Dignitatum”, Tyche, Vol. 25, pp. 131–170.
Tantillo, I. (2012), “Comites et praesides. Modalità del cumulo dei poteri nel IV secolo d. C.”, in: Bérenger, A., Lachaud, F. (eds.), Hiérarchie des pouvoirs, délégation de pouvoir et responsabilité des administrateurs. Actes du colloque de Metz, 16-18 juin 2011, Centre de Recherche Univ. Lorrain d'Histoire, Metz, France, pp. 79–95.
Trautmann, R., Klostermann, R. (1934), “Drei griechische Texte zum Codex Suprasliensis. II. Das Martyrium von Konon dem Isaurier”, Zeitschrift für Slavische Philologie, Vol. 11, N. 3/4, pp. 299–324.
Wood, Ph. (2009), “The Invention of History in the Later Roman World. The Conversion of Isauria in «The Life of Conon»”, Anatolian Studies, Vol. 59, pp. 129–138.
