Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

from the huns to the avars 717
The grimness of the situation should not, however, be exaggerated. The
ability to find troops to recruit is an indication of some sort of successful
habitation, even if some recruits were tribesmen newly introduced for that
purpose. Viewed from the outside, the Balkans were still a land of milk and
honey, as is revealed in the Utigurs’ complaints about Justinian’s reception
of their Kotrigur enemies. Justinianic legislation suggests that land in the
Balkans was a desirable commodity, an asset that unscrupulous lenders
might attempt to obtain from their debtors in Haemimontus and Illyricum;
legislation against this applied to both soldiers and civilians, and a law about
redeeming captives from barbarians reveals that there was an active market
for land. 55 Decades of impoverishment had undermined administration,
especially in Thrace, but attempts to remedy this were initiated by
Anastasius and taken further by Justinian: Thrace was joined with more
prosperous regions – Cyprus, Caria and the Aegean islands – in a unit
known as the quaestura exercitus, and was provided with a new rank of governor,
a Justinianic praetor, with enhanced powers and a specific duty to
attend to local defences. 56 In Illyricum, where the greater security and prosperity
of the southern areas would have helped the prefect in Thessalonica
to control the more threatened northern parts of his prefecture, Justinian
attempted at a moment of confidence to move some aspects of administration
further north: a separate metropolitan see was created at his new
city of Justiniana Prima, supposedly for the convenience of the inhabitants.
Bishops provided secular as well as spiritual leadership, as can be seen from
the complaints of the citizens of Thessalonica about the absence of their
archbishop during a crisis in 535. 57
Diplomacy and fortifications were emperors’ twin strategies for defending
the Balkans. Lombards were incited to act against Gepids, Antes against
Slavs, Utigurs against Kotrigurs. Tribal groups or smaller war-bands could
be solicited into imperial service, to be rewarded with lands and military
titles that brought salaries or provisions. Critics of Justinian complained
that such policies merely encouraged tribes to cause more trouble in the
expectation of greater rewards from the supine empire, but Menander
offered a positive assessment of his preference for avoiding war. The frequent
failure of large armies during Anastasius’ reign, and again in 529–30,
to crush opponents in the Balkans tends to support Menander’s judgement.
58 Pressure along the frontier was eased sufficiently for Justinian to
reinforce Roman control of the Danube as far upstream as Singidunum,
and the operations of the Roman fleet and the ability of Roman commanders
to watch known crossing-points could restrict, if not ultimately prevent,
fresh invasions.
55 Procop. Wars viii.19; Nov. 32, 33; 65. 56 Nov. 41; 26; Hendy, Studies 397–404.
57 Nov. 11; Life of David, cited by Hoddinott (1963) 89ff.
58 Menander fr. 5.1–2; Cameron (1970) 125–7.
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