THE ANASTASIAN MILITARY DECREE FROM THE CITY OF PERGE AS A SOURCE FOR STUDYING THE REFORM OF THE BYZANTINE ARMY BY ANASTASIUS

ВОЕННЫЙ ДЕКРЕТ АНАСТАСИЯ ИЗ ГОРОДА ПЕРГЕ КАК ИСТОЧНИК ПО ИЗУЧЕНИЮ РЕФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ВИЗАНТИЙСКОЙ АРМИИ АНАСТАСИЕМ

Мишнев Сергей Николаевич

студент, Белгородский государственный национальный исследовательский университет, РФ, г. Белгород

Марков Александр Владимирович

научный руководитель, старший преподаватель, Белгородский государственный национальный исследовательский университет, РФ, г. Белгород

The era of the reign of Anastasius I (491-518) is a very important field of research to identify the specifics of the continuity of the Middle Ages in relation to late antiquity. It was Anastasius who initiated many reforms that made it possible to heal the empire and are a kind of fertile soil on which, like wheat, many subsequent foreign policy successes of Byzantium under the rule of Emperor Justinian the Great (537-565) grew.

Such areas of the organization of the state machine, the monetary system [2, P. 1.], taxation (Evagr. Schol., Hist. Eccl., III, 39) and the army of the empire underwent reform (do not forget that changes in the military organization were accompanied by the implementation of significant logistical and defensive projects, such as, for example, Anastasius Wall (1, с. 235.)). It is to study the reform of the organization of the army that we need to turn to such a source as the military decree of Anastasius I from the city of Perge. This city was in the Roman province of Pamphylia, leading us to assume that the time of the issuance of the decree took place during the Isaurian War (492-496).

Most of the fragments of this decree were found during excavations in Perge in 1974 and 1981-1982 (3, P. 134.). The decree, judging by the reconstruction, is presented in the form of a text on three marble slabs. The first two include the decree itself, and the third shows the number of troops, their salaries and the land area they occupy. In my article, I would like to pay special attention to the first two plates, since the data they provide can tell us a lot about the state of the army at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Anastasius I. However, we must refrain from far-reaching conclusions and assumptions, because we only have one similar source, which, in turn, somewhat limits us.

The leitmotif of the decree is the condemnation of the corruption of the army and the installation of an honest way of building a career for military personnel to improve the efficiency. Anastasius is dissatisfied with the fact that some recruits are building a fast-moving career, not so much at the expense of merit, labor and military service, but by being under someone's patronage or buying a position. It was to eliminate the latter aspect of the military organization of the Byzantine Empire that this decree was directed. Also, an important factor in assessing the information content of this source is the expected date of its publication. Estimated, the decree was issued during the years of the Isaurian War, which began almost from the very beginning of the reign of Emperor Anastasius I.

“Because it is clear that your promotions, ranks and graduations, [which are arranged] in accordance with the ancient tradition that has survived to this day, have somehow become alienated, and each of the various military units is getting a higher rank in accordance with corruption, cunning and benevolence of some people, but not by merit, labor and conditions of military service, not at a fixed time, but only by a few certain men, for a very short period of service and at a very young age, among the lower ranks, [acting] contrary to the welfare of the majority, receive the positions of their colleagues who join their termination of service» (3, P. 157). This excerpt from the decree of Anastasius shows us the problems that this document is intended to solve. In addition, it is important to remember that such decrees were issued in order to satisfy the claims of the troops stationing at the place where this “message” of the Byzantine emperor came out. This allows us to imagine the situation in the army of the empire during the Isaurian war. Some researchers believe that the state of the army was rather sad, shaken, since, indeed, the unbridledness of the troops and the corruption that flourished in their ranks could not positively affect the course of the hostilities of the Byzantine army before the reforms of Anastasius. And in connection with such assumptions, this imperial military decree in a city located near the unfolding war is very valuable and gives those assumptions some justification.

Regulation and control over promotions is the central theme of the decree: now, at least, the troops stationed in the city of Perge have received updates in their organization, the structure of subordination of military branches has changed, which can be seen in the example of this passage: «Since every sort of corrupt extortion and sales dormant, the Imperial Foresight has decided that the right people should be appointed according to the right option so that the dragonmen are placed under the responsibility of the dragon master» (4, P. 168). Thus, by changing the structure of subordination of military branches, Anastasius also contributed to a greater differentiation of the functions of these same troops. Apparently, these changes turned out to be very effective and, most likely, were introduced in the armies located in other cities of the empire (this is especially true for the cities of the eastern part of Byzantium, since this would explain some of the successes of the imperial troops in the war with the Persians, which happened a little later than the end Isaurian War).

It should be said that the leitmotif of the decree agrees very well with another source on the problem of changes in the organization of the empire's army under Anastasius I, with the code of Justinian. The laws introduced by Anastasius also aimed to eliminate the possibility of extorting money from soldiers, to protect their rights and property (Cod. Just. XII. 37. 18). For example, such a law also confirms that the corruption of the army at the time of the beginning of the reign of Anastasius was a very serious burden for the army: “These commanders must control the magistrates and their assistants and ensure that the decurions, or tax collectors, do not inflict under the command of their commanders, at no expense, so that said commanders may, in time of peace, review and convene troops whenever they so desire. This passage, of course, does not use such radical expressions as in the military decree, but this is primarily due to the various goals for which these documents were created. The decree was originally aimed at resolving the claims of the troops stationed in the city of Perge, therefore it is not surprising that the decree uses a more vague and emotionally colored presentation.

Thus, the military decree of Anastasius from the city of Perge is a rather important source about the change in the organization of the early Byzantine army during the reign of this emperor, moreover, it is, in fact, unique in its kind. Among other things, the decree is also able to shed light on the state of the army before the reforms of Anastasius, in good agreement with the orders of this emperor, preserved in the code of Justinian. Examining these sources together, we can definitely state that the level of corruption within the army was quite high, and it was precisely to suppress it that many of his orders affecting the military organization of the empire were aimed.