Revision:Eastern Provinces - War and peace with Persia
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- Aims all well and good but policies and aims change frequently.
- Justinian’s wars illustrate lack of necessary resources to to pursue major campaigns in eastern frontier area, or resist Persian raids, while campaigning elsewhere + enormous cost of securing peace.
- Problems since Sasanians into power 3rd century – inglorious camps. Mesopotamian frontiers ended 531 death Cavadh – then Chosroes I – major treaty 533 – 11,000 lb gold to SE – no change. Not likely Chosroes I wait and see – match for J, esp as news, 540 – lack of Roman defence system obvious as Edessa, Apamean n M and Stria – large payments of silver.
- Justinian ordered that no payments should be made to the Persians for the safety of Eastern cities. Upon news Chosroes besieged and sacked Antioch, 2nd city of Empire,
- Plague – literary sources exaggerate but obviously huge effect – immediate effect on tax revenues and military manpower – seen subsequent legislation to recover taxes from estates of those who had died – great difficulties sustaining war on two fronts.
- Also mismanagement and confusion – AD 543 Armenia – small force of Persians kill Marses and inflict heavy defeat at Anglon nr Davin – 545 5 yr treaty concluded at 2,0000 lbb of gold. Substantial skirmishes between Arab allies of B and P – Ghassanids and Lakhmids 549 Byzantine forces destroy Persian army at Lazica. 551 another rive year peace treaty with 2,600lb of gold – problems in Lazica continued - but in 561 50 yr peace at Dara – Byzantine Master of Offices and Peter the Patrician – Persians renounce claims to Lazica but get 30,000 gold nomismata – ten years in advance. Existing frontiers confirmed and trade limited to cities with custom facilities.
- Among clauses one relating to Arab tribe allies becoming important factor in maintaining security of east and another guaranteeing status of Nestorian Christians in East.
- Western reconquest suffer as Persian wars drain manpower, resources and gold
- Justinian underestimates: but plague unforeseen and relative quiet on Eastern front illusory. Vandal Africa too easy comp. To Italy. Also Africa and Italy need new administrative units – adds to difficulty of wars. Uncertain commander – jealous delegates badly.
- Timing of religious war not great in 540s – even in military campaign provinces this caused problems coincided with various other political problems.
- Not surprising then that military campaigns ran into difficulties – did well to do it for so long – maybe explained by prosperous state of affairs when Justinian inherits Empire – but decline in defence and population + urban change become apparent at end of reign – suggest military reconquest and imperial reconstruction had some effect.
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