1st Edition

The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars AD 226-363 A Documentary History

Edited By Michael H. Dodgeon, Samuel N. C. Lieu Copyright 1994
    460 Pages
    by Routledge

    460 Pages
    by Routledge

    The crisis of the third century saw Rome not only embroiled in contests of succeeding short-lived Emperors, but assailed by an increasing variety of hostile peoples from outside its frontiers. Owing to the complex racial interplay of this period, the sources for its history have to be compiled from a wide variety of sources. The least adequate are those in Latin, the imperial lives of the Historia Augusta . These have to be supplemented by the Greek chronicles of Zosimus and John Malalas of Antioch, as well as the Armenian history of Moses of Chorene, the Arabic History of the Arabs of Al-Tabari , as well as inscriptions in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Syrian and other languages. This volume collects these diverse sources for the first time in English translation, and will be a uniquely valuable resource for scholars working on a period of Roman history that is attracting increasing attention.

    Introduction Part I: (c. AD 226±352) 1 The Rise of the Sassanians 2 The Persian expedition of Gordian III (the `first campaign' of Shapur I against the Roman Empire) 3 The Second and Third Campaigns of Shapur I against the Roman Empire 4 The Rise and Fall of Palmyra 5 From Probus to Diocletian 6 Rome and Shapur II: Shapur and Constantine 7 Rome and Shapur II: The early wars of Constantius II Part II: (AD 353±363) 8 Rome and Shapur II: The later wars of Constantius II 9 Rome and Shapur II: The Persian Expedition of Julian

    Biography

    Samuel N. C. Lieu, Michael H. Dodgeon

    'One cannont too highly commend the editors, in their coverage of the miscellaneous sources. ... the book is an essential aid for researchers in all the interlocking and productive fields which relate to Late Roman, Sasanian, and Manichean history ... All the passages are cited in clear English translations, where necessary revised for the occasion or specially prepared by the editors.' – A D H Bivar, SOAS