Resources For Foreign Relations, Records Essay, Research Paper
ROMAN RESOURCES FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS ?
Large complex admin
and bureaucracy did time long time for army to get prepared so long that other
knew was happening. ?
RECORDS ?
Reforms of Dicoletian
and Constantius increase records of external affairs open to Emeperors.? Almost no doubt of archive of traties and so
forth in C ? but difficult to link bureaucracy and paperwork.? Suspect with increase importance of foreign
relations Late Antiquity that there was spin off in foreign literature. ?
Pope Gregory late 6th
asks for treaty from imperial archive ? knows it existed by reply suggests it
was burnt down. ?
Chroniclers in later
period talk of diplomatic letters – some even quote from then ? Khurso II to Maurice
for example ?
Historical argument
favours debate that the letters were actually kept. ?
In terms of making
decisions regarding foreign policy ? greater value aides-memoires Roman envoys
concerning negotiation.? Certainly
envoys reported back to emperors verbally ? seems unlikely didn?t record
verbals. Certainly John of Ephesus and Menander and Malalas not necessarily
from government archives ? Malalas ? account of embassy of Julianus to Axumies
in 530/1. ?
Malalas and Malcus of
Philadelphia, via large detail in Romans relations Goths ? suggests written
accounts of negotiations in government archive. ?
Shorthand writers take
account of imperial consistory ? presumably consulted later if taken, why not
envoy meetings? ?
Most evidence of
government records in foreign relations in fifth and sixth centuries.? Why then??
Thoeoiis relinquishing personal command of army, more time for
paperwork, shift in attitude given seriousness of crisis in this period..? Awareness of officials and emperors need to
give closer attention to foreign relations – + value of written records.