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.