03-25-2002, 02:01 PM
Salve,<br>
<br>
Federates were still employed by the east in the period following the Gainas revolt and the purge of some barbarians did not result in the end of their enlistment into the ranks of the eastern armies. The eastern armies had a wider choice of barbarians to enlist, having access to 'internal barbarians' like the Isaurians as well as Arabs and renegade Persians. Enlistment of a greater variety of foreigners was beneficial since these were less likely to make common cause and rebel en masse like the Gothic host, whose disparate components were far more homogenous. The federate units (<i> phoideratoi</i> of the east Roman army had by the sixth century become part of the regular army and both foreign and indigenous troops served in them in a similar manner as the originally foreign <i> cohortes</i>, <i> alae</i> and <i> numeri</i> had become part of the earlier regular imperial army as time went by. The greater wealth of the eastern empire allowed it not only to buy off invasions but also gave them the opportunity to pay their troops, even though that was somewhat haphazard at times. This prevented the withering away of units for lack of pay attested for the fifth century. At least parts of the old army survived since some of the units listed in the <i> Notitia Dignitatum</i> are also mentioned in Procopius.<br>
<br>
Haldon, J., <i> Warfare, state and society in the Byzantine world 565-1204</i> (London 1999) 389p.<br>
Treadgold, W., <i> Byzantium and its army 284-1081</i> (Stanford 1995) 249p.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>
<br>
Federates were still employed by the east in the period following the Gainas revolt and the purge of some barbarians did not result in the end of their enlistment into the ranks of the eastern armies. The eastern armies had a wider choice of barbarians to enlist, having access to 'internal barbarians' like the Isaurians as well as Arabs and renegade Persians. Enlistment of a greater variety of foreigners was beneficial since these were less likely to make common cause and rebel en masse like the Gothic host, whose disparate components were far more homogenous. The federate units (<i> phoideratoi</i> of the east Roman army had by the sixth century become part of the regular army and both foreign and indigenous troops served in them in a similar manner as the originally foreign <i> cohortes</i>, <i> alae</i> and <i> numeri</i> had become part of the earlier regular imperial army as time went by. The greater wealth of the eastern empire allowed it not only to buy off invasions but also gave them the opportunity to pay their troops, even though that was somewhat haphazard at times. This prevented the withering away of units for lack of pay attested for the fifth century. At least parts of the old army survived since some of the units listed in the <i> Notitia Dignitatum</i> are also mentioned in Procopius.<br>
<br>
Haldon, J., <i> Warfare, state and society in the Byzantine world 565-1204</i> (London 1999) 389p.<br>
Treadgold, W., <i> Byzantium and its army 284-1081</i> (Stanford 1995) 249p.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>
