Heroes, Homer, and Historiography on the Late Antique Battlefield: Constructing Courage in Procopius’ Wars

What is it about?

This chapter explores literary, historical and cultural aspects of courage on the late antique battlefield. A preliminary survey of scholarly approaches to the conception and portrayal of bravery, morale and heroism introduces source materials and evaluates challenges of definition, terminology and interpretation specific to late antiquity. The study primarily examines a prominent specimen of classicizing historiography, Procopius’ «Wars», the longest and most elaborate account of the many conflicts of Justinian’s reign (527–565), written by an eyewitness-participant. Not only does «Wars» overall accentuate individualized attributes of charismatic leadership and martial skill, but also Procopius’ depiction of battle disproportionately magnifies and dramatizes conspicuous feats, wounds and deaths, especially in vivid episodes of single combat, which evince a peculiarly “heroic” sensibility without exact precedents or parallels in Greek or Roman historical writing. As Procopius’ work dominates modern perceptions of warfare towards the end of antiquity, this trait demands explanation in terms of both artistic objectives and historical realities. Literary and philological analysis investigates whether and in what ways Procopius fashions a consciously “Homerizing” vision of combat, in spirit, if not in language or substance, and/or draws other archaic notions and motifs of valour from ancient historical literature, notably Herodotus, as part of a wider allusive agenda to assert the unprecedented magnitude and significance of recent wars. Concurrently, as contemporary sources more briefly record such exploits, a historical inquiry considers to what extent Procopius also reflects a “real-world” martial culture, especially given his personal and professional connections with élite warriors, whose ethos, experiences and perspectives may thus pervade his narrative. Comparisons with works in other “high-cultural” genres, particularly epic poetry, assist in identifying a broader “heroic” aesthetic and addressing questions of literary taste and audience.

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Photo by Sandra Dempsey on Unsplash

Photo by Sandra Dempsey on Unsplash