Balkan Promises
-
Christian Rollinger
Abstract
Gifts exchanged between ambassadors and rulers of polities were a staple of ancient diplomacy. However, no gift is innocent, and they could be hotly contested, their depiction in discourse varying considerably, and depending on contemporary political contexts. In ancient sources, interpretations and judgements of gifts vary wildly and depending on who gave what to whom and on which occasion. This chapter presents a contained case study to show the contrast between official discourse, and the interpretations and remonstrations of contemporaries, by examining the case of Avar-Roman relations in the 6th century, which surviving accounts describe as either a rational diplomatic strategy or a debasement of imperial prestige. This ‘corruption’ of the state is parallelized with the decay and ‘corruption’ of the imperial body of Justinian himself, who was well into his eighth decade when the Avars appeared on the scene.
Abstract
Gifts exchanged between ambassadors and rulers of polities were a staple of ancient diplomacy. However, no gift is innocent, and they could be hotly contested, their depiction in discourse varying considerably, and depending on contemporary political contexts. In ancient sources, interpretations and judgements of gifts vary wildly and depending on who gave what to whom and on which occasion. This chapter presents a contained case study to show the contrast between official discourse, and the interpretations and remonstrations of contemporaries, by examining the case of Avar-Roman relations in the 6th century, which surviving accounts describe as either a rational diplomatic strategy or a debasement of imperial prestige. This ‘corruption’ of the state is parallelized with the decay and ‘corruption’ of the imperial body of Justinian himself, who was well into his eighth decade when the Avars appeared on the scene.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Preface VII
-
Part 1: The Discourse(s) of and on Corruption
- Twisted Transfers as Corruption 1
- The Corrupted Speak 47
- Civil War and the Corruption of liberalitas in Tacitus’ Histories 65
- Irreversible Corruption 83
-
Part 2: Corruption in Social Practice and Daily Life
- Creating Evidence for Corruption 111
- Corruption in Greco-Roman Egypt 129
- Ideas of Corruption in Roman Imperial Ports 145
- Suspect Inheritances 167
- Salvian and the Corrupted Church of Southern Gaul 199
-
Part 3: The Politics and Diplomacy of Corruption
- Corruption and Anti-Corruption 223
- Beyond Crime 257
- Usurpation of (and Corruption Involving) the Right of Roman Citizenship in the Republic 287
- Balkan Promises 307
- Index 335
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Preface VII
-
Part 1: The Discourse(s) of and on Corruption
- Twisted Transfers as Corruption 1
- The Corrupted Speak 47
- Civil War and the Corruption of liberalitas in Tacitus’ Histories 65
- Irreversible Corruption 83
-
Part 2: Corruption in Social Practice and Daily Life
- Creating Evidence for Corruption 111
- Corruption in Greco-Roman Egypt 129
- Ideas of Corruption in Roman Imperial Ports 145
- Suspect Inheritances 167
- Salvian and the Corrupted Church of Southern Gaul 199
-
Part 3: The Politics and Diplomacy of Corruption
- Corruption and Anti-Corruption 223
- Beyond Crime 257
- Usurpation of (and Corruption Involving) the Right of Roman Citizenship in the Republic 287
- Balkan Promises 307
- Index 335
