A Cabinet Of Byzantine Curiosities – Anthony Kaldellis (1)

He ordered one of his attendants to pick up the shield and later summoned the soldier and his captain to his presence. He berated them both and ordered the captain to flog the soldier, cut off his nose, and parade him through the camp. But the captain didn’t do this, either out of pity or because he was bribed. When the emperor saw that the soldier was unharmed the next day, he imposed the same punishment on the captain himself, and saw that it was car- ried out (Leon the Deacon, History 1.2).

Byzantine strategy was famous for a calculated avoidance of pitched battles and heroic behavior. Victory was to be obtained by diplo- macy, bribery, and subversion of the enemy’s nobility; if it came to war, generals were instructed to use delaying tactics, ambushes, and harassment of the enemy. A military manual associated with the emperor Nikephoros II Phokas (963–​969) advised generals to avoid not only an enemy force of superior strength but also one of equal strength, unless it has already been defeated three times (Military Precepts 4.19). Don’t attack neighboring states engaged in a civil war, because they are likely to make peace with each other and join together against you, the foreigner, if you attack them then (Syrianos, On Strategy 42).

The Strategikon, or military manual attributed to the emperor Maurikios (ca. 600), stipulates that high-​ranking officers should be stationed in safe positions so they are not killed by rushing forward in battle, which would demoralize the soldiers (2.16). The army herald is commanded to shout—​this is written out in camp Latin: Do not fall back. Do not advance ahead of your standard… . This is what a brave soldier does.

If you leave your standard, you will lose… . Do not charge out impetuously, do not break ranks (3.5). “Bravery” meant staying in formation.

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Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Kaldellis, Anthony, author. Title: A cabinet of Byzantine curiosities : strange tales and surprising facts from history’s most orthodox empire / Anthony Kaldellis.

Description: Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: LCCN 2017018263 | ISBN 9780190625948 (hardback) | ISBN 9780190625955 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Byzantine Empire—Social life and customs. | Byzantine Empire—Social conditions. | Byzantine Empire—Foreign relations. | Orthodox Eastern Church—Church history. Classification: LCC DF521 .K295 2017 | DDC 949.5/02—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017018263 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Printed by Edwards Brothers Malloy, United States of America v For Carolina, ilusionadamente vi • v i i • vii CONTENTS Preface ix Chapter I Marriage and the Family 1 Chapter II Unorthodox Sex 15 Chapter III Animals 31 Chapter IV Food and Dining 45 Chapter V Eunuchs 57 Chapter VI Medical Practice 69 Chapter VII Science and Technology 79 Chapter VIII War—​By Any Means 95 Chapter IX A Menagerie of Saints 109 Chapter X Heresy and Scandal 119 Chapter XI A Gallery of Rogues 131 Chapter XII Inventive Insults 141 Chapter XIII Punishments 145 Chapter XIV Foreign Lands and People, a.d.

330–​641 159 Chapter XV Foreigners and Stereotypes, a.d.

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