Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

27 Protection of the frontier 191
work De magistratibus during the first half of the sixth century, conveys this
impression. 79
John Lydus, De magistratibus iii.52
As the ankles of the Caucasus are split by nature – towards the sun when it
rises under the constellation of the Lion at the narrow beginning of the Caucasus,
towards the north wind by the Caspian Sea, an entrance was created for a barbarian
people settling around Hyrkania but unknown both to us and the Persians. 80
Through this entrance they attack Persian territory in the East, Roman territory
in the North. And as long as the Romans were in control of Artaxata and also of
further territories they were present there and thus used to go against them. But
when during the reign of Jovian they had given up this and many other territories 81
the Persians were not strong enough to protect their own and the previously Roman
territory and therefore on both sides Armenia was constantly afflicted by unbearable
unrest. 82 In consequence then after the luckless reign of Jovian talks took place
between our hyparch Salutius 83 and the most eminent Persians, and later with
Yazdgard, 84 to the effect that both states would share the costs and establish a
fortress at the described entrance and set up a garrison in these places in order to
stop the barbarians from pouring through. However, as the Romans were occupied
by their wars in the West and North the Persians – being closer to the attacks of
the barbarians – were forced to erect a fortress there, which they call Biraparach in
their language, 85 and stationed troops there. And no enemy managed to come in.
John the Lydian, who was born in Philadelphia (Lydia) and became a
teacher of rhetoric in Constantinople, is the author of several works; to
some extent his accounts are confused and often superficial but they nevertheless
provide important information on cultural and administrative
aspects of the Roman Empire. In particular the author’s knowledge of the
situation in the eastern Roman Empire seems excellent. The above passage
comes from a work that not only informs us about Roman officials during
the republic and the imperial period into late antiquity but also frequently
refers to geography and natural history. In spite of evident chronological
inconsistencies 86 Lydus’ narrative throws light on the special geographical
79 On the author and his work see Carney 1971; for text and English translation see Bandy 1983a and b.
80 John Lydus must be referring to the portae Caucasiae.
81 On the foedus concluded between Jovian and Sāpūr ˇ in the year 363 see 18.
82 On the ‘partition’ of Armenia between the great powers see above, pp. 184–6 with n. 56.
83 As praefectus praetorio Orientis Salutius played a major role in the successful conclusion of the peace
treaty of 363.
84 Luther 1997: 105 n. 28 suggests that this man is neither Yazdgard I (399–421) nor Yazdgard II
(439–57) but an otherwise unknown Persian diplomat who led the negotiations with Salutius; such
negotiations would then have taken place before Salutius left office, that is before 366–8.
85 This fortress must be identical with the Iuroeipaach mentioned by Priscus, frg. 41.1 (= FHG iv 105).
86 For a detailed analysis see Blockley 1985a: 63–74 and Luther 1997: 104–8.