Dve výpravy v jednom roku? K otázke chronológie počiatku východorímskych ťažení proti Avarom v období vlády cisára Maurikia (582 – 602)

Two expeditions in one year? Comments on the Question of Chronology of the Beginning of East Roman Campaigns against the Avars during the Reign of Emperor Maurice (582 – 602)

Autor: HURBANIČ Martin

HURBANIČ, Martin: Dve výpravy v jednom roku? K otázke chronológie počiatku východorímskych ťažení proti Avarom v období vlády cisára Maurikia (582 – 602) 

HURBANIČ, Martin: Two expeditions in one year? Comments on the Question of Chronology of the Beginning of East Roman Campaigns against the Avars during the Reign of Emperor Maurice (582 – 602).

Vojenská história, 23, 1, 2019, pp. 7-23.

The question of the exact chronology belongs undisputedly to the most discussed topics relating to the work of the Late Antique Greek historian Theophylact Simocatta. One of the most controversial aspects in this matter is the exact chronology of the Avar–Roman wars. Up to this time, at least four major hypotheses were proposed by various scholars. A conclusive solution, however, is still open to discussion and the present historiography either follows the chronological scheme of Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou or that of Michael Whitby. This contribution deals with the two starting points of the chronology of the second phase of the Roman–Avar wars – the campaign of the Emperor Maurice in person (V.16-VI.3) and the subsequent Avar attack (VI.3-VI.5). Contrary to the previous scholars, I would like to propose a new chronological solution for these two military operations. Based on the close textual examination, I argue that they were not only inserted into Simocattaʼs Historia in the wrong chronological order, but they were also closely related and occurred in one and the same year – 590.

Keywords: Military history. Late antiquity. Theophylact Simocatta. Avar Wars, Emperor Maurice. Chronology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69809/vojhist.2019.23.1.1

Ročník: 23 | Číslo: 1/2019 | Stránky: 7-23