The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY: BOOK VI 293
him he sent Philippicus, [224] who was related to him by marriage as he
had married one of his two sisters. This man, after crossing the frontiers
and ravaging everything in his path, became master of great spoils, and
captured many people of noble birth and ancestry from Nisibis and
other places on this side of the river Tigris. 11 He engaged with the
Persians and, after a ¢erce ¢ght in which many distinguished Persians
had fallen, he took many captives; one unit which had escaped to a
convenient hillock he let go unharmed, although he could have captured
it, since they promised to persuade their king to send an embassy about
peace as soon as possible. 12 And as general he accomplished other
things, by liberating the army from excesses and matters conducive to
luxury, and by reining it in towards good order and obedience. 13 These
matters must be grasped from those who have composed or indeed are
composing histories, in accordance with the reports or opinions they
may have or have had: their account misses what is true, slipping and
limping through ignorance, or corrupted by favouritism, or blinded by
hostility. 14
an engagement in Arzanene was lost when Cours, formerly his colleague but now his subordinate,
declined to participate in the battle; throughout 583 John was again active in
Arzanene, where the Romans managed to capture the fort of Akbas, in spite of being
forced to abandon the siege at one point. For discussion, see Whitby, Maurice 277^8.
11 Philippicus, husband of Gordia, had been appointed comes excubitorum in succession
to Maurice (PLRE III. 1022^6, s.v. Philippicus 3). In 584 he arrived in the East to succeed
John as magister militum per Orientem; most of the year was occupied by fruitless negotiations,
during which Philippicus energetically recruited, but in the autumn he conducted a
raid, or raids, into Beth Arabaye, the vicinity of Nisibis. See Whitby, Maurice 278^9.
12 Evagrius has skipped the campaign of 585, when ill health prevented Philippicus from
achieving much, and advanced to the battle of Solachon in 586 (narrated at greater length
by Theophylact ii.1.5^6.12): the Persians under the Kardarigan attacked the Roman army
drawn up by the river Arzamon, but were forced to £ight; the Persian centre took refuge on a
hillock, where they were blockaded for a time (Theophylact does not mention an agreement
about an embassy). See Whitby, Maurice 279^82.
13 After Solachon, Philippicus conducted an o¡ensive in Arzanene in 586 with mixed
success, while in 587 he was too ill to campaign and entrusted operations to his subordinates:
see Whitby, Maurice 282^4. Theophylact praised Philippicus’ military knowledge
(i.14.2^4); among recent generals both Justinian (Theophylact iii.12.7) and Maurice
(Menander, fr. 23.3) also received praise for improving military discipline.
14 Evagrius recognizes that Philippicus’ achievements as commander were mixed, and
were unlikely to receive such sympathetic treatment from writers who did not share his
personal closeness to the imperial family. The most obvious target for Evagrius’ attack on
inaccurate reporting is the work of his relative, John of Epiphania, which was being