Walter Emil Kaegi, Jr.

Some Thoughts on Byzantine Military Strategy

© Hellenic College Press, Brookline, Massachusetts, 1983

 

Page 5

He implicitly agreed with the anonymous strategist that reflection on methods and problems of warfare could assist the outcome of combat. As Procopios put it, "most of all, war is wont to succeed by means of good counsel." War was potentially intelligible, but only to some extent, and no Byzantine historian had a greater appreciation than did Procopios for the risks inherent in war, "so that we shall never reasonably go to war straightaway." [4]

[4. Ibid. 6.30.18. ]

A word of caution: one cannot be certain what were the true opinions of Procopios on war; he may be repeating gnomic statements from unidentified earlier authors. What is certain is that he wrote down these generalizations in the reign of Justinian, that he had experienced war, but his remarks may not refer exclusively to his own beliefs.

The soldiers of Justinian were not, and probably did not, believe themselves to be inferior to their opponents in quality or modernity of weapons, training, or the tactical and strategic skills of their commanders. Procopios gave special praise to the masterful horse archery of contemporary Byzantine soldiers, and he contrasted it favorably with the role and technique of archery in the age of Homer. [5]

[5. Ibid 1.1.16-1.1.15.]

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