Book contents
- The Field Armies of the East Roman Empire, 361–630
- The Field Armies of the East Roman Empire, 361–630
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- Chapter 1 The High Command from Julian to Theodosius I (361–395)
- Chapter 2 The Late Emergence of the Eastern Notitia System (395–450)
- Chapter 3 The “Classic” Phase of the Eastern Field Armies (450–506)
- Chapter 4 The Dispersal and Decline of the Eastern Field Armies (506–630)
- Conclusions
- Book part
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 1 - The High Command from Julian to Theodosius I (361–395)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 April 2023
- The Field Armies of the East Roman Empire, 361–630
- The Field Armies of the East Roman Empire, 361–630
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- Chapter 1 The High Command from Julian to Theodosius I (361–395)
- Chapter 2 The Late Emergence of the Eastern Notitia System (395–450)
- Chapter 3 The “Classic” Phase of the Eastern Field Armies (450–506)
- Chapter 4 The Dispersal and Decline of the Eastern Field Armies (506–630)
- Conclusions
- Book part
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter surveys the organization of the east Roman military from the failure of Julian’s Persian expedition to the death of Theodosius I in 395. It demonstrates that there is no evidence to support the emergence of the Notitia system during this period and, in fact, positive evidence indicating that the Roman military continued to operate in its fourth-century configuration, with a central reserve army, the comitatus, commanded by a magister equitum and magister peditum, while smaller regional commands were managed by local limitanei or, in exceptional cases, a comes rei militaris. The sole exception was the magister militum per Orientem, the chief general on the eastern frontier, whose office went from an ad hoc appointment to a formally constituted command during this period.
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- The Field Armies of the East Roman Empire, 361–630 , pp. 1 - 22Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023