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7. Along the Frontiers Slavic Migration and Persian Invasion

Cherub and receiving the submission of Khosrau II; enamel over gilt copper 1160–1170, Paris, Louvre).

HIST 302 Spring 2012

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Slavic Migration into the Balkans

Begin a few decades after Justinian’s death

Language, identity, and ethnicity

Slavs and Slavic languages West Slavic: •Czech •Slovak •Polish South Slavic: •Croat •Bosnian •Serbian •Bulgarian •Macedonian

Avars and Slavs Avars – Nomadic people from C. Asia – Clan structured – First in sources (558 ) – Justinian signing them as mercenaries on the Danube frontier • Strong cavalry units • Subjugated Slavs living there

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Emperor (582-602) • Military strategist • First emperor to take the field since Theodosius I • Creates the Exarchates of Ravenna and Carthage – Combined civil and military authority – Probably lead to the Theme system later • Pragmatic approach to Christological matters – Monopysite/Chaledonian issue

solidus of Maurice's reign

Troubles for Maurice at home and Abroad • Circus Factions agitate – Recovered most of their power since the Nika Revolt – tolerant of Monophysitism and high taxes • Discontent in the army – Spirit of disobedience and revolt • Balkan Incursions (582-91)

Balkan Incursions (582-91) 580 Maurice refuses to relinquish Sirmium • Can’t hold the city 582 Agrees to hand it over • evacuates the population

Fall of Sirmium indicates the collapse of the Danube frontier

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Complete collapse of Danubian Frontier • Chronicle of Monembasia 580s Avars and Slavs capture much of Greece • Byzantines hold out in coastal outposts: – Thessalonica (siege in 586) – Athens – Corinth • Byzantine population sought refuge on islands or in Italy

Strategikon: Military manual

• Practical guide for military operations – didactic • Informed by Maurice’s first-hand experience • Calls for the replacement of mercenaries with peasant militias – “We wish that every young Roman of free condition should learn to use the bow , and be constantly provided with that weapon and with two javelins” • Book 11: – an important source of ethnographic information – Franks, Lombards, Avars, Turks, Slavs

“Long Walls of Thrace”

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Slavic Invasions

Older View • perceives this wave of migration in the same manner as earlier Germanic invasions – More recent analysis seeks to refine that view

New View • Fundamental change in social groupings • Collapse of broader city-based and state- based towards individual/family units

Danubian Campaigns (591-5)

591 Peace Settlement with Persia • allows Maurice to focus troops in Balkans 595 Imperial troops retake much former territory to the Danube

Danubian Campaigns (597-602)

• Franks pays Avars to resume attacks • 599 Byzantines invade Avar homeland – Win decisive victory – 601-2 more Byzantine victories – 602 Maurice orders army to winter in Pannonia

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Danubian Army revolts (602)

Maurice orders to winter on Danube frontier • foments revolt Phokas— army officer leads troops back to Constantinople – claiming to put Maurice’s son on the throne • Supported by Greens and Blues • Maurice and 6 sons all executed by factions Phokas becomes emperor – first successful coup d'état in Constantinople.

Emperor Phokas (602-10)

• Fiercely Chalcedonian • Universally despised by all historical sources – banned the term “Ecumenical Patriarch” – Recognized Pope as head of whole church – was eventually captured, tortured and assassinated

The Column of in Roman Forum

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Sassanian King Khusrou II

• The Excuse needed to invade Byzantine territory

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Naqsh I rustam archaeological site 12 km NW of Persepolis

Phokas brought down

604 Dara falls • Imperial church policy and military situation in East angered many 608 Herakleios (Exarch of Carthage) goes with his fleet to the capital – Phokas had no troops 610 at Constantinople – Government collapses • Herakleios crowned Emperor

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Emperor Herakleios (610-41)

Hellenizes the Empire – changes official language from Latin to Greek Defends Empire Heraclius and his son Heraclius Constantine on a Roman coin – Byzantines attacked on all sides: • Persians in East • Avars, Slavs and Bulgars in West – Reforms army • wins at Nineveh • first to engage Arab armies in battle Religious Compromise – Monothelitism out of Chalcedonian and Monophysite • Christ had two natures but one will

Sassanian Expansion

610 hostilities resume: Sassanians win: 612 Battle of Cilician gates 613 Apamea, Antioch, Edessa fall – Herakleios meets with Simon Stylite 614 Siege of Jerusalem – 50,000 killed; 35,000 enslaved • Relics taken to Ctesiphon – True Lance, Holy Cross, Holy Sponge 616 Egypt – no more grain dole 617 Chalcedon

Reasons for rapid conquest in our sources?

• Strategikon

• Theophylact Simocatta • V. Theodore of Sykeon • Pascal Chronicle • Khuzistan Chronicle

• Chronicle of Theophanes – c. 800 CE

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Byzantine Counteroffensive of Herakleios

Constantinople besieged by the Avars and Persians 626 • A massive barbarian army, working in co-operation with the Persians, lays siege to Constantinople whilst Herakleios is away campaigning in the east. • Byzantines successfully resist the attack – inspired by the charismatic Patriarch Sergios 627-8 Herakleios makes alliance with Turks and continues towards Persia. – wins several battles – Ctesiphon undefended

Battle between Heraclius' army and Persians under Khosrau II Fresco by Piero della Francesca, c. 1452

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Peace Treaty

Byzantines regained • all lost territories • captured soldiers • war indemnity • the True Cross and other relics taken from Jerusalem in 614 plaque of a Cherub and Heraclius receiving the submission of Khosro II; 1160-1170, Paris, Louvre)

Consequences of Byzantine-Persian War Short term: Long Term: • Herakleios hailed as a • long struggle opened “New Scipio” door for Arab invasions • Triumph to Hagia – Eastern and Southern Sophia provinces taken forever – inters “Holy Cross” – Capital needs to find a new source of cheap • Khusro II deposed grain

Theme System

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