PROCOPIUS Roman Persian Gothic Strategy Dara Rome (original) (raw)
Related papers
Procopius on the Struggle for Dara in 530 and Rome in 537-38: Reconciling Texts and Landscapes
War and Warfare in Late Antiquity (2 vol. set), edited by Edited by Alexander Sarantis and Neil Christie, Brill., 2013
"This paper examines Procopius’ descriptions of Roman, Persian and Gothic strategies to control Dara in 530 and Rome in 537-8 by reconciling texts with the landscapes of the areas concerned drawing on satellite imagery, cartography and field visits. The traditional approach to this history has been to use written sources only, but, as will be shown, these are subject to multiple interpretations. Study of the landscape provides a different, complementary perspective which is in some ways more reliable, as the physical features have not changed too significantly over the centuries, and modern technology has opened up new ways of reading them. The first part of the paper is concerned with Procopius’ account of the battle of Dara. There has been scholarly debate about some of the units of measurement within his Wars, and this had led some people to doubt the reliability of Procopius. However, by considering the practicalities of the battle, such as the space needed to accommodate the Roman and Persian armies within the landscape and the size of the fortress, plus analysis using Google Earth, it will be shown that his figures are feasible and therefore, he is reliable. The second part of the paper concerns strategies used in the Gothic War, for which Procopius is a major source. In particular, the siege of Rome will be analysed, and the identity of a crucial anonymous bridge will be discussed. Based upon a combination of textural analysis and topography (field-work plus Google Earth), it is proposed that this is the Salarian Bridge over the Anio, rather than the Milvian Bridge over the Tiber, as has been traditionally accepted. These two case studies strongly suggest that Procopius is reliable when he is interpreted carefully, and this has implications for studies of the many other events for which he is the main source."
Katarzyna Maksymiuk, Geography of Roman-Iranian Wars: Military Operations of Rome and Sasanian, 2019
The book, that has been published by Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in 2012 and is essentially a revised and expanded translation of a study written in Polish titled Geografia wojen rzymsko-irańskich. Działania Rzymu i Iranu w okresie sasa-nidzkim, has been published in English and prepared primarily for students who take interest in the history of the Near East. The study discusses the names of the regions and sites where wars, conflicts, sieges and conquests took place between the Roman and Sasanian empires, and the border changes brought about by the treaties made between the sides throughout a time frame from the first quarter of the 3rd century A.D. to the early Islamic conquests in the first quarter of the 7th century A.D. In the first chapter of the study which is comprised of two main chapters, a short introduction is made and after that, a rundown on the modern literature that has been inspirational for the making of the study, is given, the structure of the study, the method used and the constraints of the subject have been formed in a reasonable manner. In the same chapter, the situation of the Roman-Persian borders in the 2nd century A.D. is described and the fragile relations , diplomatic and military conflicts between the two long-standing enemies are roughly discussed.
"This paper explores how images attained from satellite and field photography can be studied alongside historical literary sources to improve our understanding of the context for, and details of, an historical event. The event is a battle fought in June/July AD 530 between the Romans and the Sassanian Persians near Dara in the south east of modern Turkey. After outlining the importance of the region near this battle site, three translations of sixth century historical sources will be analysed alongside the satellite and field photography. The sources are Zachariah and Malalas, who offer secondary accounts of the battle, and Prokopios, General Belisarios’ legal adviser, who provides us with an eyewitness account. "
GIS Analysis and Spatial Networking Patterns in Upland Ancient Warfare: The Roman Conquest of Dacia
Geosciences, 2021
Generally seen as natural peripheries, upland landscapes present particular challenges both in terms of living, and of recording past human activity within. LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology has now brought considerable improvement in our ability to record and map surviving archaeological features, but not necessarily increased our appreciation of local agency. Though the iconic landscape around the Iron Age Dacian capital of Sarmizegetusa Regia (Romania) and its Roman conquest have long caught the attention of specialists and the wider public, both previous research and more recent results from an airborne LiDAR survey leave considerable gaps in our understanding of networking potential across this challenging landscape. Based on LiDAR and satellite-generated high- and mid-resolution topographic data, our paper employs an innovative combination of GIS (geographic information system) spatial analysis tools to examine the spatial relationships between Roman military bases, Dacian targets, and the wider landscape as an integral part of a wider interdisciplinary archaeological research. This helped us formulate and test spatial and historical hypotheses, according to which all known and potential Roman military bases in the study area functioned as part of a system where each contributed individual advantages in securing their domination across the landscape. Our research highlighted the advantages and challenges for Comărnicelu as one of the key Roman logistical nodes, and for the attackers at Şesului and Muncelu working in tandem to besiege and subdue Sarmizegetusa Regia. Our study raises doubts with respect of the fall and destruction of the hillfort at Vârfu lui Hulpe as a result of a Roman siege, making space for alternative political narratives. Ultimately, our findings help build a better understanding of this iconic world heritage landscape and its Roman conquest.