East Roman Foreign Policy. Formation and Conduct from Diocletian to Anastasius

R.C. Blockley

ARCA 30. ISBN 978-0-905205-83-0. xiv+283 pp. Publ. 1992.

East Roman Foreign Policy elucidates a central topic in late Roman history – how the Empire's openly militaristic posture in the later third century AD was modulated by the sixth century into that complex blend of diplomacy and military force which characterised the reign of Justinian. Professor Blockley concentrates on the Eastern Empire, where, he argues, the Romans' novel attitudes to foreign policy originated, and where the sources allow a continuous treatment. The book's three main sections are: a detailed and carefully annotated narrative of events from 299 to the early sixth century; a discussion of the environment within which diplomacy developed; and an account of the actual formation of foreign policy and the means by which policy aims were achieved.

With indexes, bibliographies and maps, this book is essential reading for the understanding of late ancient history.

R.C. BLOCKLEY'S earlier books in the series ARCA, The Fragmentary Classicising Historians of the Later Roman Empire (2 vols, ARCAs 6 and 10) and The History of Menander the Guardsman (ARCA 17), are fundamental for the study of the later Roman Empire.

Contents

Preface

Maps

I. INTRODUCTION

II. NARRATIVE

1. The Roman-Persian Treaty of 299: a dictated settlement
2. Constantine I: aggressive defence
3. Constantius II: facing the limitations of Roman power
4. Julian and Jovian: the consequences of aggression
5. Valens: confrontation and disaster
6. Theodosius I: a policy of accommodation
7. Arcadius and Yezdegerd I: fraternal cooperation
8. Theodosius II and Yezdegerd I: good will and its erosion
9. Theodosius II, 422-450: war and diplomacy
10. Marcian: the pressure is relaxed
11. Leo: the pressure returns
12. Zeno: foreign relations and domestic politics
13. Anastasius: a measured approach to foreign policy

III. THE ENVIRONMENT

1. The Circumstances
2. The Responses
3. The Control of Tensions

IV. POLICY AND ITS INSTRUMENTS

1. The Formation of Foreign Policy
2. The Instruments of Policy
3. The Structure of Diplomacy

V. CONCLUSION

Notes
Bibliography
Indexes

Reviews

Mnemosyne 49.1 (1996) 118-23 (M.J. Nicasie). " … a very important and well-written book which will in time undoubtedly take its place as one of the classics on late Roman history."

Athenaeum 82 (1994) 605-6 (Arnaldo Marcone)

Revue des Etudes grecques 107 (1994) 717 (P. Nautin) (brief note)

Gnomon 67 (1995) 451-5 (Erich Kettenhofen)

Journal of Roman Studies 84 (1994) 282-3 (J. Howard-Johnston)

Greece and Rome (1993) 242 (brief note)

Classical Review 44 (1994) 134-5

Latomus 53 (1994) 700 (R. Delmaire) (brief note)