Aetius: Make It Real
One of the most exciting moments as an author, second only to receiving copies of a new book, is when your editor sends an email with the draft image of the new book’s cover. So you can imagine my excitement when an email with the following attachment arrived in my inbox.
In my humble opinion, this is a good-looking cover, and will sit nicely on my bookshelf alongside my two previous books.
The only difficulty I have is one that has been with me ever since I was asked to write ‘Belisarius’. (Just before Christmas 2006 – good present, wasn’t it?) The fact that I’m writing books still doesn’t seem real. I know that I wrote the manuscripts for these books: I can remember doing it. But there is no connection in my mind between what I wrote and the books now sitting on my shelves.
Although I sometimes think that this is odd, conversations with other writers have made me realise that this is not uncommon. Yet I hope that I never lose the feeling of disbelief. Should I ever start taking my writing for granted, I’ll know I have lost the plot.
Should that happen, I might as well just start writing romantic novels for Mills and Boon. “Slowly, she began to peel the shoulder strap of her dress …”
Then again, maybe not!
17 Comments
Hi Ian,
we US wargamers are eagerly awaiting AETIUS. I am curious, never having seen that likeness of Aetius before. Do you know where Pen&Sword got it?
Do we really think that’s him?
Enjoyed your STILICHO, thanks for filling a gap! Now, how about Ricimer, Odoacer & Orestes?
Regards & best of luck,
Jeff
Hi Jeff
unfortunately, there is no definitive image of Aetius. The likeness is from part of the ‘Sarcophagus of Stilicho’ in Sant’Ambrogio, Milan. There is a lot of debate about who’s sarcophagus it is, the date of it etc. However, there is a possibility that it belongs to Aetius. After Aetius’ death his supporters/followers soon took control again and he may have been reburied with more honour. So the theory isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem. The debate goes on …
Do I really think that’s him? Maybe not, but as it’s the only possible portrayal, we decided to run with it.
As to Ricimer et al, I was convinced by my editor to make them (the ‘Patricians’) book five. After ploughing through the multitude of sources for Aetius, my brain needed a rest. The thought of doing it all again straight away for Ricimer made my toes curl …
Thanks for the encouragement!
Ian
You make it sound like there is a fourth volume planned beyond Aetius? If so, another bio?
Yes. I’ve already started book four, tentatively titled ‘Imperial Brothers: Valentinian, Valens and the Battle of Adrianople’. I was hoping that this would be a lot more straightforward than ‘Aetius’: after all, there is one major source in Ammianus. But I am already finding that there are unexpected problems to overcome. Then again, if it was easy there would already be a whole raft of books on the subject!
Well, more good news! While I had O’Flynn’s book, I always thought a trilogy:
let’s say, ALARIC, STILICHO & AETIUS would be welcome. I’m very happy to see you filling the gaps. Cheers, J
And be sure to tell your publisher you have a firm order for volumes three, four and five!
Thanks, I most certainly will!
Hello again,
as I was researching for my Patrician Roman & opponents armies, I found myself wishing for a better handle on army composition (Was Aetius’s bodyguard armored Hunnish horse archers?) as well as an organized list of combatants…something along these lines:
4xxAD Stilicho: W.Romans,Franks vs Goths & Alans —-N.Italy
4xx Aetius: W.Roman, Huns vs. Burundians – Savoy
4xx Ricimer: W.Romans, Alans vs Rugii Pannonia
4xx Odoacer : Romans vs Visigoths …. Ravenna
I’d like to see a who was fighting whom, when & where…I know that’s not easy! Cheers!
The books on Aetius and Stilicho (will) contain all of the information given in the ancient sources. Unfortunately, nowhere is there a breakdown of the troops in a way useful to wargamers.
In fact, the more you delve into these areas the more you realize that most of the information accepted as fact by many wargamers is in fact based completely upon ‘educated guesswork’.
All that can be inferred is that the Italian Army at the death of Stilicho probably outnumbered the foederati whose families they then slaughtered.
By the time of Aetius’ death it is likely that numbers were more even.
By the time of the overthrow and exile of Romulus Augustulus the foederati in Italy probably outnumbered the ‘regular’ Roman troops.
However, this is not the full story. There are many troops even in the mid-late fifth century in the ‘mobile field armies’ in the provinces. Obviously, this is something that I will have to address in more detail in the future. For the present, sorry, but I have enough work to do as it is!
LOL, understood. In the DBA world, massive debates are ongoing due to the advent of the new version 3.0 and its accompanying changed army lists. I have to laugh at some of the arguments over army composition…as if anyone knows!!! Regards, A
Just ordered Stilicho from Amazon along with 381 and Hypatia. Lo, decades ago I worked in an earlier period on Julian in Gaul. I had no help from the Classicist (Nero’s inscription on the Parthenon) nor the Medievalist on my committee. My Bible was nessarily A. H. M. Jones’ ‘The Later Roman Empire’.
When I finished the Thesis all the work I did teaching in private high schools and working as adjunct faculty never allowed me to save enough to spend one year at another university. So, of course without that PhD I’m not allowed to have an opinion. Despite some mistakes because I had no copy of the Notitia Dignitatum available I could after a fashion recreate the OOB of Julian’s Comitatensis, but once Ammianus and Zosimus run out there is much less to work with and much more guess work. I sometimes wonder if the wargamers have a clue about the scrappy Chronicles, Panegyrics, poetry, and fragments one must deal with thereafter. (I tried to write a paper on Majorian).
Then there is a strange movement afoot based on Archaeological finds to prove (!) that the “barbarians” were always outnumbered by the Late Roman armies. A sort of Neo-Delbrückian Germano-philia.
But I wander. I hope Stilicho has the meat promised by some of the Amazon reviews.
Hi there
You’re right about the ‘scrappy Chronicles, Panegyrics, poetry, and fragments’ for the period after Ammianus. I know that some wargamers expect there to be fully-detailed lists somewhere about the troop numbers and deployment for battles in the later period, but they simply aren’t there. It’s extremely frustrating, as if they had been included by ancient sources we’d know a lot more about the social conditions of the Later Empire, as well as the military capability.
I hope that ‘Stilicho’ doesn’t disappoint: thankfully, I don’t need to tell you how little there is to go on! As for Majorian, he’s a project for the near future!
One question, though: who told you that you can’t have an opinion because you don’t have a PhD?
Who told me I was not allowed an opinion without a PhD? The Classical professor on my committee during my defense. He added that I needed to have published a couple of books.
Thank goodness he was junior to the Medieval professor who was the chair. The other guy was a a professor of Intellectual History and he asked questions about Julian’s philosophy. The Caesar spent a year in Athens and wrote a couple of works on religion after he became sole Augustus, but like his uncle Constantine he was a “soldier emperor.” There has been much romantic nonsense written about him. Most of his works are Panegyrics to Constantius, and works of propaganda.
The guy in Classical history made me write a chapter “proving” that Julian’s “Letter to the Athenians” was indeed propaganda. You see that conclusion was only my opinion. Are you laughing yet?
Well it cost me my last $150 to have the whole thing retyped. Seen many 280 page theses? Funny isn’t it?
You seem to have had a tough time with your lecturer(s). Was the thesis part of an MA or PhD?
My first MA was in the Later Roman Empire. The second was in Medieval English Literature. I was moving toward my PhD in English (couldn’t do it in History), but I was the one who had to take care of dying parents. So I ended up ABD and even priced out of the state school I had to attend to receive those degrees (wrong economic class). Now I can’t even use a university library.
I was looking around my books to find what primary sources cover Majorian (my old still born seminar project) and I can’t even buy the standard stuff used. Even Zosimus is only affordable in that old 60′s translation I had to use for my thesis. My Greek is gone, though I ground through Julian’s Letter to the Athenians back in the day.
Hydatius I can’t even find. I have the Age of Attila, an old collection of translated fragments by Gordon, and R.C. Blockley’s collection of Fragments. Then there is Sidonius Apollinaris on the shelf, but I don’t know if Pharr’s Theodosian Code will have the Majorian rescripts. I’ll have to dig it out. I also seem to recall another Panegyric in addition to Appollonius.
Of course, Eutropius and Aurelius Victor are here but I don’t know where those epitomes leave off. I have the 1912 edition of Jordanes. Not much of this scrappy collection is standard.
And I can’t look at a single coin catalogue. Well that’s another matter. I do go on, my mind a lumber room of scraps.
Wow. Two MAs. I’m impressed. I must admit I had to look up the acronym ABD, as I’ve never seen that before. Is it common in the US to complete all of the work for a PhD except for the dissertation? That seems odd.
I know what you mean about expensive books. I’ve had to use the local library a lot, and they’ve managed to get me some books I simply couldn’t afford – thankfully, the lady who does the ‘Inter-Library Loans’ has good connections with Universities, so can sometimes get me textbooks during the Uni. holidays.
As it is, I’ve still had to spend a lot on some essentials, like the PLRE and The Theodosian Code – which does include Majorian’s novellae.
One thing you may be interested in: In ‘Aetius: Attila’s Nemesis’ I have included in the Bibliography as many primary sources – in translation and/or in original – as I can find on the internet. This includes the things like the Chronica Minora. You might find these interesting and hopefully they’ll rewaken your interest in the subject.
Sorry to hear about the problems you had when studying. Although not to the same level, I had some of my own (which I won’t go into, for legal reasons!) and it put me off ‘Academia’ for quite a while. All I will say now is don’t give up on a subject that you obviously love because of the faults of other people. Stick with it. Even without the academic aspects, it’s still fascinating.
Have you found the RAT (http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/recent.html) or UNRV (http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=active) websites ? Note: these are listed in alphabetical order, not in order of preference! There are a lot of people out there who want to know more about Roman history but don’t have ‘qualifications’.
I hope you enjoy the book(s) and that they re-open the door to Late Antiquity for you. Good Luck!
ABD isn’t strange. I was working on the big D and not teaching. Suddenly because I “wasn’t working,” I was chosen to take care of two dying parents. When that three years was over my committee was either dead or retired. I would have had to deal with the “young Turks,” pay to take their classes, and assemble a new bunch. Oh, and I was ineligible to work there. Most were younger than I was. That would have worked well!
Remember in academia a pair does not beat one of a kind. Do not be impressed.
Yep, my copy of PLRE Vol. 1 cost eight bucks at a used book store (it has DISCARD stamped on the inner an end sheet but the the name of the institution is blacked out–looks fishy), but a used PLRE vol. 2 is $468 (hysterical laughing).
I’m going to try to get Hydatius in the latest edition 1993 through I-LL I have an email out to OUP to ask permission to copy it since it’s been out of print since 1998.
There’s a Latin copy on the web, but is it from MHG. Who knows? Burgess, the editor of the “new” version says, as I understand, that the MHG text is a corruption of a Berlin MSS from which all others derive.
Well, enough trivia.
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