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BYZANTIUM AND THE EAST
Chairs:
Leif Inge Ree Petersen, Ekaterina Nechaeva
Ekaterina Nechaeva
,
High-Profile Defection between Rome and Persia in Late Antiquity:
The Case of Constantine of Theodosiopolis
Paweł Filipczak
,
The Byzantine Administration in Syro-Palestine on the Eve of the Arab Invasion. Selected
Problems
Ilhami Tekin Cinemre
,
Alliance with Hell: Romans vs. Armenians and Arabs
Adrian Elias Negro Cortes
,
Tribute Payments in the Byzantium-Islam Frontier,
an Origin for the Spanish Institution of the
Parias?
Magdalena Laptas
,
Byzantine or Non-Byzantine Rituals of the Nubian Rulers
Maria Conterno
,
Greek, Arabic, and Syriac in Reconquered Syria (10
th
-11
th
Cent.)
Тheodora Zampaki
,
Ibn Khaldūn on Byzantium: A Study in Sources
Elvira Wakelnig
,
ʿ
Abd Allāh ibn al-Fa
ḍ
l al-An
ṭ
ākī –
An 11
th
Century Byzantine Philosopher and Theologian Writing in Arabic
Valerio Massimo Minale,
Legal Elements in Digenis Akritas
263
Ekaterina Nechaeva
University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;
ekaterina.nechaeva@gmail.com
High-Profile Defection between Rome and Persia in Late Antiquity:
The Case of Constantine of Theodosiopolis
State of fluctuating conflict between Late Roman and Persian empires in many ways characterized
and determined the reality of Late Antique period. This communication aims to analyze one of the
many cases of high-profile individual defection that occurred between the two states.
The two authoritarian “super-powers” tended not only to control the mobility of their subjects
across the border, but to prevent them from permanently (or even temporarily) moving to the adversary
state. Various reasons could cause this restraint: political, economic, demographical, military, those of
“national security” etc. Therefore, any kind of voluntary migration was de facto a flight.
A host side in such situation—when immigration could not become massive—was often
interested in receiving the newcomers. Reasons to accept those escaping from a competitive power
were also plenty, e.g. the desire to obtain information, the need for qualified workers.
Late Antique reality must have presented numerous cases of various kinds of “emigration”
or, given the above perspective, rather desertion and flight on all the societal levels. High-profile
defection, however, received more attention of sources and we are much better informed about
both civil and military elites in the context of unstable loyalties, than about the lower layers of Late
Antique society.
Constantine was a high military Roman officer and then a turncoat. In August/September
of 502 he rebelled and betrayed to the Persians the city of Theodosiopolis in Armenia, which he
was supposed to guard. We ignore the exact reasons of this act: according to Joshua the Stylite,
Constantine felt some hostility towards the emperor Anastasius (Josh. Styl. 48).
Evidence parallel to Joshua the Stylite’s omits the fact of Constantine’s betrayal and considers him
a prisoner of Cavades (Malal. 16.9 (398); Zach. HE 7.3). Joshua’s information seems to be much richer
and provides details about the subsequent events of Constantine’s life. Constantine, thus, successfully
continues his military career among the Persians, becoming a general and fighting against the Romans.
We know several stories of high-profile turncoats, switching sides and more successfully
advancing their careers. Especially often, such flights were happening in the Eastern “border
territories”, in Mesopotamia, in Syria, and in Armenia. In the absolute majority of the known cases,
once the traitor has crossed the border and/or joined the enemies, there was no way back. Defecting
and especially collaborating with enemies against the Roman cause was considered a high treason,
fraught with the most severe punishment.
Constantine, however, returns back to the empire two years after his initial switchover. After
his surrender to the Romans, he was brought to the emperor, who chooses an outstandingly mild
punishment for this traitor who betrayed the city that he was to guard and led the enemies’ troops
against the Romans. Constantine was ordained as a priest and sent to Nicaea with a warning not to
take any further part in affairs of the state.
264
The case of Constantine, therefore, is extremely interesting, being at the same time quite
typical and absolutely extraordinary. We do not know why Constantine was treated so exceptionally,
sources do not provide enough details. One may suppose some secret agenda behind these events.
Was Constantine’s defection part of a bigger plan of advancing the Roman influence? The presumed
connections between Constantine and the emperor might have played some role not only in the
unusual grace of Anastasius, but also in the preceding events.
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