Sixth Century Research Articles

Tymphaia(ns): Molossian(s) or Macedonian(s)?

The Tymphaians, like the Orestai, were considered as Molossian tribes by the end of the sixth century BC. One should not make the common mistake of interpreting the Macedonian expansion in these areas with the help of much later literary sources depicting the conditions in these areas under Roman rule, especially those of the Roman province of Macedonia, thus ignoring the earlier sources; therefore, one should not include Tymphaia in the “original” Macedonian regions. Tymphaia was incorporated in the Macedonian kingdom after 351 or 342 by Philip II, thus becoming thereafter an integral part of Macedonia and the theater of crucial decisions regarding the Macedonian throne. The preexisting institutions of the Tymphaians were not abolished after this incorporation. Their characterization as “Macedonians” by Arrian is related to the political use of the “national” adjective “Macedonians”, i.e., subjects of the Macedonian king. The tribal organization of the region must also have played an important role in the perception of the Tymphaians by the southern Greeks. In this context, one can only admit one’s inability to proceed to further suggestions or assumptions, as the surviving written testimonies are scarce. Perhaps, vital in this direction will be the data given to the historians through the archaeological excavations conducted in the area and the possible identification of the settlements mentioned in the scarce literary sources.

Macedonia’s Interests in Thrace and Conflicts with Athens

From the late sixth century BC on, close connections between the political actors of Thrace, Hellespontine Phrygia, Persia, Athens, and, during their times of Greek supremacy, Sparta and Thebes are attested. When Macedonia advanced to the Hellespontine sphere, the basic understanding was ultimately disturbed. Aiming at controlling both sides of the straits, Philip could take the Phrygian satraps at the climax of their influence as an example and pursue a mirror-image policy. This paper explores the ways Philip’s connection with Artabazos may have provided him with insights into the political networks and structures in the area. It also considers the history of family ties between the Argeads and the family of Artabazos

Novel application of SANS provides quantitative non-destructive identification of forming techniques in late Roman and early medieval pottery from Pannonia

Within archaeological studies of ancient pottery, understanding the techniques used to form vessels from unfired clay provides significant information on the history of technology and economic systems, as well as wider cultural practices and social interactions. We introduce here a new analytical methodology, using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to investigate pottery forming techniques through the preferential orientation of nanoscale objects within pottery fabrics. Significantly, SANS is non-destructive, suitable for both coarse and fine-textured pottery fabrics, provides quantitative data, enables fast-throughput of samples, and is not significantly affected by surface modifications occurring after the primary forming stage. The use of SANS is systematically investigated through over 400 measurements of experimental vessels, and also compared with X-ray microtomography and neutron tomography. The results show that SANS can be used to differentiate wheel-throwing, coil-building, percussion-building, and coil-wheeling techniques. The archaeological application of SANS is demonstrated through a case study of 50 late Roman and early medieval (fourth–sixth century AD) pottery sherds from Hungary, spanning the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the arrival of Barbarian polities into the region. The findings show a transition in production from predominantly wheel-throwing to coil-wheeling, but also coil-building, percussion-building, percussion-wheeling, and drawing. Such changes appear to reflect the disintegration of large-scale centrally organised Roman economic systems, and the diversification of production, consistent with the more diversified technological and cultural backgrounds of the producers themselves.

The Phrygian inscription W-03 on the Arslan Kaya monument

Abstract This article presents a corrected reading of the traces of the Old Phrygian inscription on the Arslan Kaya monument in the Phrygian Highlands, attesting to the name of the goddess, Materan, and providing notice of stylistic details that confirm the dating of this monument to the first half or middle of the sixth century BCE.

Anointings with Oil and Handlayings in the Early Eastern Church: Further Evidence for These Gestures as Early Ritual Cognates

Anointings and handlayings were used across the Christian liturgical tradition in the patristic period and often in a number of similar ways. While distinct ritual gestures, their similar use, particularly in the rites of Christian initiation, suggests they were often interchangeable and, thus, functioned as ritual cognates. This article defines what a ritual cognate is within a ritual system. It then looks at the way these gestures were used in the Eastern liturgical sources from the third to sixth centuries in order to support the argument that these gestures should be viewed as ritual cognates. Uncovering their function as ritual cognates helps explain these gestures as well as how ritual systems are constructed.

The Educational Policy of Julian the Apostate

Julian the Apostate, the last pagan ruler of the Roman Empire has left a rich correspondence, the content of which is extremely varied. The epistles, most of which are authentic, form a separate volume in the editions and can be divided into four groups. The first group consists of the so-called Gallic letters, the second group includes the letters of Illyria and Constantinople, the letters from Asia Minor form the third group. Finally, the letters written from Antioch complete the list. In the following, we will discuss the School Edict and more particularly the letter that accompanies it (Ep. 61 Bidez – second group of letters). The decree of the Codex Theodosianus, dated 17 June 362, was rather short-lived, being in force only from July 362 to 11 January 364, but it is nevertheless an outstanding document of ancient educational history since no other emperor had previously issued similar regulations on the operation of teachers. Alongside this decree we may place the edict associated with Justinian (Cod. Just. I,5,18,4; I,11,10,2), which, conversely, forbids the pagan rhetors from education, but in the sixth century no one attempted to criticise it.

Nefarious Implications in Yasmina Khadra’s The Sirens of Baghdad

The research paper is mainly concerned with the projection of the nefarious implications as exposed in Yasmina Khadra’s The Sirens of Baghdad (2007). This novel depicts the evildoings of the American soldiers that have been practiced against the Iraqi people living in Iraq. They have committed nefarious yet shameful acts against the Iraqi individuals whom they consider their foes, whereas the latter are innocent and friendly people Evil has been an everlasting wrongdoing on earth since the creation of the world. It has been extremely embedded in the nature of man and is sure fought by good-natured people. It is no wonder to find a whole country like the United States practice evildoings against many and various nations, being the posterity of the tribes of the Vikings, Vandals, Gales, Danes and above all the Anglo-Saxons that invaded Britain, slaughtered its nation and settled in it in the fifth and sixth centuries AD and whose posterity are still oppressing other nations and invading countries all over the world. The research meticulously examines those nefarious actions made by the occupying American soldiers depicted in the titular novel, pointing out the bitter behavior of the Americans against the Iraqi nation as represented in The Sirens of Baghdad. Edward W. Said’s representations in his book Orientalism unfolds the Westerners’ crooked means in exploiting other nations, whose oriental perspective cannot be exempted from this study.

PhD in History, Sapienza University of Rome Independent Researcher, Rome, Italy

Abstract. The “History of the Wars”,1 and specially “The Vandalic War”2 written by the Byzantine chronicler and general Procopius of Caesarea (Caesarea Maritima ca. 590 AD- Constantinople ca. 560-65 AD ca.)3 represent an important literary source for the knowledge about the steppe populations living or moving on the western part of the Caspian Sea until the Western Europe, mainly regard those contemporary at the put in writing of the Procopius' works, namely the half of the VI century AD. This happened because Procopius himself has been personally present or involved in most of the events that he has related. In fact, he was a very high rank character (legal advisor, adsessor) starting by the first year of the ascend to the throne of Justinian I (527 AD), following the byzantine general Belisarius (ca. 500-565 AD)4 in his many military campaigns on various war theatres. Thus, under the orders of Belisarius he was on the border area with the Persian Empire against the Sasanians in the Iberian War (526-532 AD.), in the North Africa against the Vandals (533-534 AD) and in Italy against the Ostrogoths (535-540 AD). In 551 AD Procopius completed his work regarding these warlike events, the History of the Wars in seven books and, after, he wrote another book in 553 AD where he relates about the Lazic War (551-553 AD). The books III and IV of the History of the Wars regard the Vandalic War, namely the military expedition organized by Belisarius against the Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans5 in North Africa. In this expedition there were a consistent force of Huns at the 1 2 3 4 5 Principally, here we follow these editions: Anthony Kaldellis (ed.); Ian Mladjov; H.B Dewing (trans.), Prokopios, The Wars of Justinian, Hacket Pub Co Inc, Indianapolis/Cambridge, 2014. Ibidem, pp. 144-251; Kaldellis, Anthony: Prokopios’ Vandal War: Thematic Trajectories and Hidden Transcripts, in: S. T. Stevens & J. Conant, eds., North Africa under Byzantium and Early Islam, Washington, D.C: Dumbarton Oaks, 2016, 13–21. Naturally, on Procopius and his life and works, there is a huge literature in various languages. Here we recommend only some works where is possible to find more exhaustive bibliographic indications and discussions: Börm, Henning: Procopius of Caesarea, in Encyclopaedia Iranica Online, New York 2013, https://iranicaonline.org/articles/procopius ; Cameron, Averil: Procopius and the Sixth Century. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985; Meier, Mischa and Federico Montinaro (eds.): A Companion to Procopius of Caesarea. Brill, Leiden 2022. For a biography of Belisarius, see: Martindale, John R., ed. , The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume III, AD 527–641, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 1992 p. 182, and Hughes, Ian, Belisarius: The Last Roman General. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing , 2009. A part of Alans, a steppe people of iranic language, united themselves with the Vandals in their Reconstructing the Past: Journal of Historical Studies 19 Volume 2 Number 3 September 2024 Byzantine service, and precisely in the Procopius writings that we can find the personal events of a lot of them and interesting accounts on some of their customs and traditions. In this article will be underlined and analyzed both these Huns and the events in connection with them during and after this African campaign. Keywords: Huns, Africa, Procopius of Caesarea, Attila, Vandals, Alans

Linden Bicket, Emma Dymock and Alison Jack (eds), Scottish Religious Poetry: From the Sixth Century to the Present

Linden Bicket, Emma Dymock and Alison Jack (eds), <i>Scottish Religious Poetry: From the Sixth Century to the Present</i>

양 무제의 육식 금지령에 나타난 윤리적 쟁점 - 『단주육문(斷酒肉文)』을 중심으로

In East Asian Buddhism, the consumption of meat by monks has not been permitted since the sixth century. During this period, Emperor Wu of Liang, drawing from the teachings of Mahayana sutras including the Mahāparinirvāṇa sūtra, issued the 'Prohibition of Alcohol and Meat' (斷酒肉令). At the heart of Emperor Wu's prohibition of meat consumption is the ethical judgment that “meat-eating is inherently killing.” Emperor Wu maintained a strict stance that monks should not eat meat under any circumstances, including naturally deceased meat (自死) or for health reasons. This view contrasted with early Buddhist food ethics, differentiating between meat-eating and killing and allowing for the Three Pure Meats (三種淨肉). He also believed that monastic vegetarianism was essential for realizing the ideals of Mahayana Buddhism and establishing a harmonious society. Emperor Wu asserted that meat-eating inherently distanced one from all practices leading to nirvana, making enlightenment unattainable. While he did not directly challenge the autonomy of the monastic community in the Duan jiu rou wen (斷酒肉文 Abstinence from Alcohol and Meat), he argued that meat-eating monks had effectively forfeited their monastic status and could be punished according to secular laws. This paper examines the differing perspectives of Emperor Wu and the Vinaya masters on the ethical issues surrounding meat-eating and vegetarianism as presented in the Duan jiu rou wen. This decree, officially issued by the Emperor to standardize Buddhist vegetarianism, is significant as the historical starting point of East Asian Buddhism—not just as a theory but also as a practice. It also serves as a point of comparison for the contemporary approach to this ethical issue, which is still relevant today.

الأثر الإداري لآل قدامة بدمشق في القرنين السادس والسابع الهجريين

The study dealt with the position of the Al Qudama family on assuming administrative positions, and it also talked about the positions held by some members of the family, especially the judiciary, and that some of them held the highest judicial position, which is the chief judge. The details of this position were discussed, including its definition, origin, and who held it from the family. He mentioned the leadership of some family members in mosques and their preachers, and the research mentioned the teaching of family members, and all of this in the sixth and seventh centuries AH, in Damascus in general and Salihiyya in particular, and the influence of this family on these positions, in the Ayyubid and Mamluk states.

The Origin and Evolution of the Paired Animals on Chinese Swords

This article explores the historical evolution of paired animal motifs on Chinese swords, highlighting their transformation from symbols of wealth to emblems of royal power. Originating from Persian textile designs, these motifs entered Chinese culture during the sixth and seventh centuries through Sino-West Asian cultural exchanges. Initially, these motifs reflected exotic tastes and wealth among the Chinese elite. However, with the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, these motifs were recontextualized as symbols of royal authority. The study traces this cultural journey, examining how Persian artistic traditions were adapted and institutionalized within Chinese imperial iconography, particularly during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Through a detailed analysis of swords and textiles, the paper illustrates the continuity and transformation of these motifs, emphasizing their significance in reflecting broader cultural and political shifts in ancient China.

The Travelogues of Buddhist Monks and the Knowledge of the Western Regions during the Fourth to the Sixth Centuries

In the context of monks traveling westward in search of Buddhist scriptures, their travelogues emerged during the fourth to the sixth centuries as a new channel for producing knowledge about the Western Regions, distinct from official sources. The fundamental reason monks wrote these travelogues was to enhance the sanctity of their journeys and the scriptures. Additionally, they fulfilled the demands among Buddhists for information about Buddhism in Central Asia and India. The knowledge about the Western Regions in these travelogues was referenced in works by Chinese scholars, such as the Weishu, Beishi, Shuijing zhu, and Luoyang qielan ji, thereby expanding the audience for such knowledge. Even after the original texts were lost, their content continued to be transmitted through these citations. However, while Chinese scholars often criticized these travelogues for some absurd accounts and made adaptations or deletions, they were nonetheless compelled to utilize the unique knowledge these travelogues offered about the Western Regions.

Women in Islamic thought and philosophy in Baghdad and Andalusia for two centuries (5-6 AH/11-12 AD

Due to the extensive discourse and scholarly investigation pertaining to the status and involvement of women within the academic and cultural hubs of this particular area, the ongoing disparities and vehement confrontations between adherents and detractors of Islamic ideology regarding the standing and contributions of women persist. Consequently, it is imperative to approach this matter with a discerning outlook that is devoid of prejudiced perspectives and is situated within the framework of the historical epoch. Intellectuals, professionals in the field, and even members of the general public frequently engage in a wide range of discussions regarding women's rights and how their status among Muslims challenges this perception. Our study makes an academic and scientific effort to examine this problem from a Muslim point of view. During the period spanning the fifth and sixth centuries AH, which correspond to the eleventh and twelfth centuries AD, an examination of the historical contexts of Baghdad and Andalusia reveals significant developments. Through meticulous research and thorough analysis of various sources, it is essential to elucidate the perspectives held by Islamic groups and movements on the subject of women. It is imperative to gauge the extent to which societal cultures and traditions permeate religious attitudes towards women. Based on this foundation, a comparative analysis of the viewpoints espoused by Islamic religions and movements in both regions under scrutiny will be undertaken. The study presents the views of scholars and Philosophers in Baghdad and Andalusia, and explains the participation of women in public and cultural activities in both regions.

Canon Lists of Church Fathers in Early Christianity

Abstract This article examines how the names of “church fathers” were compiled into lists from the end of the fourth century to the middle of the sixth century. Although not as common as biblical canon lists, these lists of church fathers attempt to vest ecclesiastical authority in the figures listed. Surveying Greek and Latin Christian literature, it finds that there are two overarching strategies for listing church fathers: (1) linking individual fathers’ authority to their involvement in authoritative church councils; (2) compiling lists of names that are meant to be representative of the church’s antiquity and catholicity.

The Independent Works of Luke: Further Evidence on the Early Christian Reception of Luke and Acts

Abstract Literary and rhetorical analysis has led scholars to approach the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts as a two-volume work, often referred to as Luke-Acts. In response to increased attention to Luke-Acts, there is renewed interest in the early reception history of these books. Research has focused primarily on the second century ce and yielded little to support the assumption that early recipients consistently read these books together. This lack of evidence for the unified reading of Luke-Acts, heightened by Acts’ own varied reception, has enlivened the discussion of how one should approach the study of Luke and Acts today. This paper seeks to contribute to the discussion by examining early Christian prologues to Luke’s writings, ranging from the second century to the sixth century ce. The prologues will be examined in light of three questions: (1) How do the prologues describe the author of Luke and Acts? (2) How do they engage with Luke’s own prefaces to the books? (3) How do they frame Luke and Acts in light of other literature? What emerges from these texts is that early readers were aware of a connection between Luke and Acts, but such a connection was overshadowed by other associations.

The Kitāb al-Jadal of Abū Bakr ʿImād al-Dīn ʿAbdallāh b. Muḥammad al-Nūqānī al-Baghdādī al-Shāfiʿī (A Scholar of the Sixth Century): A Study and Critical Edition

Objectives: This study contains a critical first edition of a text in the fields of Uṣūl al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence) and Jadal (Islamic Dialectics) by ʿImād al-Nūqānī, a prominent Shāfiʿī scholar in the disciplines of Fiqh, Uṣūl, and Jadal. The study also seeks to shed light on the author's biography, which remained obscure for an extended period. Methodology: The study employs an inductive approach based on collecting, analysing, comparing, and deducing information regarding the author's biography. It also utilises a historical method focused on authenticating the manuscript's attribution to the author through critical examination and validation of information on his person. Findings: Among the most significant findings of this study is the calculation of al-Nūqānī’s life span as being from the second decade to the end of the sixth century (or early seventh century) and the refutation of the manuscript's incorrect attribution to Fakhr al- Nūqānī. Originality: This study's value lies in its critical edition of a previously unedited text and in clarifying the author's biography. The text includes essential discussions such as objections to analogical reasoning (qiyās), the conditions for there being a qiyās al-ʿilla (analogical reasoning based on the effective cause), the organisation of objections in a debate, and the types of rational and transmitted evidence.

Christian Perfection in Basilian Monastic Hospitals from the Fourth to Sixth Centuries

The purpose of Byzantine hospitals—whether primarily curative facilities or caring hospices—has long intrigued scholars. This paper proposes a third perspective on Byzantine hospitals, suggesting that the Basilian monastic hospitals of the fourth to sixth centuries were not merely philanthropic facilities for the sick and destitute but also centers for ascetics’ spiritual growth. Basil of Caesarea incorporated charitable actions by ascetics as essential to achieving Christian perfection within the coenobitic community, developing a theology of compassion that advocated for the purification of harmful passions like anger and pride through the virtue of compassion. In the fifth and sixth centuries, Theodosius the Cenobiarch, who founded a coenobium and hospitals in the Judean Desert, upheld Basil’s idea of the purification of the soul through compassion for the sick. Additionally, the nosokomeion (hospital) of the sixth-century Monastery of Seridos in Gaza emphasized the healing of spiritual diseases through compassion for the sick, as reflected in various epistles. Thus, Basil of Caesarea’s theology of compassion in pursuit of Christian perfection was a foundational element in the emergence and development of hospital spirituality in Christian Late Antiquity.

Pierced, looped and framed: the (re)use of gold coins in jewellery in sixth‐ and seventh‐century England

The early medieval coin‐using economy is traditionally conceptualized as a masculine sphere with minimal female involvement. This article examines a corpus of 135 gold and pale gold coins of the later sixth and seventh centuries that underwent modification as coin‐pendants, a form of jewellery that belongs almost exclusively to feminine contexts. Analysis of this corpus reveals that these coins were valued as coins, with their attendant symbolic and economic significance, and that this transformation into jewellery did not irreversibly remove them from circulation, offering important evidence for female engagement in the seventh‐century coin‐based economy.

The Distinct Linguistic Reality of the Jews in Late Antique Palestine and Babylonia as Reflected in the Lexicosyntax of ‮אפשר‬‎ ʾpšr

Abstract Aramaic influence on Hebrew among Jews in the Land of Israel is well established, especially from the Persian period (from the sixth century BCE) until it completely replaced Hebrew as the natively spoken vernacular sometime before the Arab conquest (seventh century CE). Scholars have paid little attention to the Jews of that period as a distinct speech community, the uniqueness of their dialect or dialects of Aramaic, and the possibility that their ancestral language, Hebrew, had influenced their unique dialects of Aramaic. The present article aims to illuminate these understudied questions by analyzing the syntax of the lexeme ‮אפשר‬‎ ʾpšr, unique to Rabbinic Hebrew and the Jewish dialects of Qumran, Targumic, and Talmudic Aramaic from Palestine and Babylonia. This lexeme, and its shared syntax among those languages and dialects, points to an early use of language to maintain ethnic and religious distinctness among Jews in antiquity.