The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

INTRODUCTION xlix
word and deed and most energetic in the greatest of a¡airs’ (vi.18, p.
234:20^3). The importance to Evagrius of these analyses is underlined
by their frequent stylistic elaboration (discussed in the following section).
Such assessments had to be tested against events, which gives purpose
to the secular narrative, especially in the latter books where a sequence of
one disastrous and two excellent rulers (Justin II, followed by Tiberius
and Maurice) can be evaluated in relation to what they accomplished:
‘That these things are so will be proved by what has been granted him
[Maurice] by God, and by the events of all types which must unanimously
be attributed to God’ (vi.1, p. 223:15^17). For this reason, the nature
of events was of greater importance than speci¢c detail, especially of
mundane tri£es such as chronology. There was also a limit to what it
was appropriate to include in this type of history: Evagrius excuses
himself from reporting the details of Maurice’s successes, ‘and what
occurred, and how and in what manner, let others write, or perhaps it
will be recounted by me in another work, since the present undertaking
is explicitly devoted to other matters’ (v.20, p. 215:29^216:1). Evagrius
appreciated that the details of military campaigns were not suitable
material for his Ecclesiastical History, just as Procopius had known
that precise discussion of theological issues belonged in a di¡erent type
of work from his Wars (viii.25.13). Failure to attend to the ways in
which Evagrius exploited the secular material available to him, both
from a source such as Procopius and events of which he had direct experience,
has led to misconceptions about the identity and vitality of the
distinct historiographical genres. 91
Under Justin, Evagrius focuses on the emperor’s incompetent
preparations for war and his stubborn refusal to listen to informed
advice, which resulted in disaster for the eastern provinces: Apamea, the
metropolis of Evagrius’ home province, was sacked and burnt, while
Antioch, his place of employment and residence,was seriously threatened
(v.7^10); there were numerous portents of the imminent misfortunes,
from which Evagrius chose to mention the birth of a two-headed calf
which he saw (v.8), a prodigy which perhaps indicated the unsuitability
of the current imperial leadership of Justin II. 92 As soon as Tiberius was
91 Allen, Evagrius 68^70; ead. ‘Aspects’ is even more negative. Whitby, ‘Writing’, sets
out some contrary arguments; see also Liebeschuetz, ‘Historians’ 162.
92 Cf. iii.44 for Anastasius’ insistence that the empire required a single helmsman. Ammianus
xix.12.19 recorded a two-headed prodigy which appeared at Daphne near Antioch