TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Byzantium and the early Islamic conquests
- Were religious divisions decisive in weakening Byzantine authority? No evidence Monophysite disloyalty between 600 and 638
- Old view Maurice’s policy with Arabs decent – Persian wars expose weaknesses – violent rebellion, virtual collapse Byzantine armies 610 – 15- Persian invasion and occupation of Syria, Palestine and Egypt. – perilous condition empire
- Slow rate of change between 4th and 7th centuries contributed to intensity, violence, acceleration and scope of change hit unprepared Byzantium. Empire lost equilibrium - rigid world view ands religious confidence shattered - Muslim invasion followed Heraclius victory over Persians too swiftly to permit imperial restabilization. Succession internal and external crisis created insecurity, contradiction and volatility.
- Institutions out of date – Heraclius restored parts of old administrative structure that existed before hiatus of Persian occupation
- Problems paying soldiers long wracked Byzantine armies and bureaucracy – hindered coherent and effective defence of provinces Muslims threatened
- Appointment treasurer – shows shortage of money, but best man for military role?
- Appointment local people to feed armies and maintain section of defensive walls – sign of weakening central governmental power, privatisation of military and civilian power – inconsistent with other governmental policies – such as prohibition and restrictions private, ownership, sale and production of weapons.
- Melting of church plate and bronze statues in Egypt show problems with system – beginning 7th century inconsistent, contradictory practices somehow coexisted
- Local officials unready to handle unprecedently large number of Byzantine and allied soldier and supply them with payments in kind in an area – no Byzantine armies had previously held comparable positions in late Roman and early Byzantine eras – under preparedness and lack of cooperation explain logistical crisis and breakdown that developed into military unrest o eve of battle Yarmuk 636 – contributed to destruction cohesion of Byzantine soldiers
- Short term Byzantium able to raise troops – civilian population unhappy and unwilling to assume fiscal burden of supporting these troops or even defend own region.
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