Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

from roman to post-roman 729
basis that civilized life had collapsed by the seventh century, so that there
could be no significant archaeological evidence thereafter. In addition, at
Isthmia, one of the best-published sites in southern Greece, which has produced
the first quantity of Slavic pottery outside a cemetery context, it has
proved impossible to establish the identity of the inhabitants: they may
have been Greeks who chose to use ‘Slavic’ pottery, or settled Slavs who
maintained close contacts with the Byzantine authorities at nearby
Corinth. 88
Travel and communications were now endangered throughout the
Balkans, which will have enhanced the separatist tendencies already evident
in the north in the fifth century. Pope Gregory wrote to the bishop of
Corinth in 591 with a specific request that he assist with a papal messenger’s
journey to Constantinople (Register 1.26). Avar envoys returning from
Constantinople were ambushed by Scamareis, who stole horses, silver and
other equipment; the identity of these Scamareis is unknown, though the
fact that Tiberius could track down the culprits and recover some of the
goods suggests they were an identifiable community, perhaps analogous
to the western bagaudae. An Avar ambassador was murdered by Slavs
within the empire, and in Justinian’s reign the Slavs are reported to have isolated
the Roman city of Adina in Scythia Minor. 89 Outside cities there was
considerable insecurity. At Appiaria a local leader was captured and held to
ransom after a hunting expedition took him away from the walls, a repetition
of the fate of Asemus’ shepherds in the 440s. Asemus itself survived
beyond the end of the sixth century and provides the best example of local
separatism: in 594, with their bishop as leader, the inhabitants barricaded
their city against an imperial army and mocked the general Peter, the
emperor Maurice’s brother, because he had attempted to enlist their garrison
– local safety came first, and Asemus had learnt to fend for itself during
a decade without imperial contact. At nearby Novae, Peter was received
more favourably, though the insistence with which he was pressed to
remain to celebrate the festival of the local martyr Lupus may also reveal
consequences of isolation: his presence could allow the citizens to commemorate
their saint without fear of surprise attack. The importance of
bishops in maintaining morale is demonstrated at Justiniana Prima, where
Maurice intervened in an attempt to have a demented bishop replaced
quickly, lest the city fall to the enemy through lack of ecclesiastical guidance.
The first book of the Miracles of St Demetrius was composed by
bishop John of Thessalonica in the early seventh century, when his city was
coming under such severe pressure that it was dangerous to venture beyond
the walls and the inhabitants desperately needed reassurance that their man
at the heavenly court would continue to protect them. 90
88 Gregory (1993) 156–9. 89 Men. frr. 15.6; 25.2.32–6; Procop. Buildings iv.7.13; Farkas (1993–4).
90 Theophylact vii.3.1–10, 2.17–18;Greg.Reg. xi.29; Whitby, Maurice 115–17.
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