Roman Military History -
reconstruction trial of a roman troop list of the sixth century
Römische Militärgeschichte -
Rekonstruktionsversuch einer römischen Truppenliste des sechsten Jahrhunderts
already released!
- ISBN-10: 373478476X
- ISBN-13: 978-3734784767
hardcover with stitch binding (or thread sewing).
364 pages (~ 36 pages are coloured).
An e-book version will be released also - the release date is up to the publisher (hopefully soon).
The book became finally very extensive. More than expected. This is also the reason for the delay. My initial idea was to focus the research for the military segment only - and then shifting in another book to the ciivil administration. This became quite impossible since several important civilian leaders (esp. the praetores, governors of certain provinces) very also responsible for the military administration - moreover they became military leaders. This topic cannot be ignored or shifted to another book. Both parts belong to each other. Furthermore I noticed that many misunderstandings, also in the academcal literature, are still obvious concerning the dignities like gloriossus, illustres, spectabiles etc. What does it mean? And is it possible to identify the military title and rank if just the dignity is given on stone carvings or in certain epigraphical papers?
Yes, it is. Therefore you get also tables and schematics how those dignities were used by the late roman administration and what it means.
Insofar my (military)
Reconstruction Trial became finally a true Notitia Dignitatum of the 6th century including the civilian organisation and the hierarchy. If this leads now automatically to a name-change of my book is still not decided and will be discussed with my publisher.
What can you expect?
Well, you get a complete list of all provinces (including separate parts e.g. Spania/Spain) and the exact title of the civilian leader - always based on sources, which are by the way always given in the COMMENTARIVM - a part which follows always after the main chapter. Those sources are including inscriptions of lead-seals, vases, carvings, tales of contemporary witnesses, several analysis of Armenian and Syrian source texts and an evaluation of Regests (esp. Gregorius Magnus for Italia). The analysis concerning the provinces includes 6th century authors like Stephanus of Byzanz who wrote his Lexicon, Hierocles who wrote probably at the beginning of the reign of Justinian and of course Gerogios Cyprus, an author who listed the provinces at the end of the 6th century. All lists are incomplete and a careful comparison was very extensive, however, it was needed.
A snapshot of the content-list concerning the civilian administration will be given below. As you can see immediately it has an high identification with the real ND of the early 5th century.