Quaestura exercitus

The quaestura exercitus was an administrative district of the Eastern Roman Empire with a seat in Odessus (present-day Varna) established by Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565) on May 18, 536.^[1]

Territorially, the quaestura exercitus contained the Roman provinces of Moesia Inferior and Scythia Minor, located in the lower Danube region, as well as the provinces of Cyprus, Caria, and the Aegean Islands. All of these provinces were detached from the praetorian prefecture of the East and placed under the authority of a new army official known as the quaestor exercitus ('quaestor of the army').^[2] The authority of the quaestor was the equivalent to that of a magister militum.^[3]

History

Since the strategically vital Danubian provinces were economically impoverished, the purpose of the quaestura exercitus was to help support the troops that were stationed there. By connecting the exposed provinces of the Lower Danube with wealthier provinces in the interior of the empire, Justinian was able to transport supplies via the Black Sea. This territorial restructuring relieved both the destitute populations and the devastated countryside of the Danubian provinces from the burden of sustaining any stationed troops. There is a lack of subsequent evidence on the history of the quaestura exercitus. However, since the position of quaestor was still extant during the mid-570s, this indicates that the overall territorial unit achieved a modicum of success.^[2]^[3]

Ultimately, the Danubian provinces associated with the quaestura exercitus did not survive the Avar invasions in the sixth and seventh centuries. However, isolated fortresses on the Danube Delta and along the coast of the Black Sea were maintained via supplies by sea.^[4] Charles Diehl first raised the suggestion that the great naval corps of the Karabisianoi, which appears in the 680s, was first formed by the remainders of the quaestura. This argument has been adopted by some scholars since but challenged by others, notably Helene Ahrweiler in her study of the Byzantine navy. This question is bound up with the discussion on the respective formations' nature as military-naval or civil-administrative entities.^[5]

Lead seals from Moesia Inferior and Scythia Minor provide archaeological evidence supporting the existence of the quaestura exercitus. Specifically, thirteen seals, nine of which are from the reign of Justinian, demonstrate that communications between officials from Scythia Minor and Constantinople occurred on a somewhat regular basis.^[6]

References

^ Velkov 1977, p. 62.
^ ^a ^b Maas 2005, p. 120.
^ ^a ^b Haldon 1999, p. 68.
^ Haldon 1999, p. 74.
^ cf. Brubaker & Haldon 2011, pp. 725–726 (note 4) and Zuckerman 2005, pp. 111–119, for a discussion of the controversy and literature.
^ Curta 2001, pp. 185–186.

Sources

Brubaker, Leslie; Haldon, John (2011). Byzantium in the Iconoclast Era, c. 680-850: A History. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-5214-3093-7.
Curta, Florin (2001). The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region, c. 500–700. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gkoutzioukostas, Αndreas E; Moniaros, Xenofon Μ. (2009). Η περιφερειακή διοικητική αναδιοργάνωση της βυζαντινής αυτοκρατορίας από τον Ιουστινιανό Α´ (527-565): η περίπτωση της quaestura Iustiniana exercitus [The Regional Administrative Reorganization of the Byzantine Empire by Justinian I (527-565): The Case of the Quaestura Iustiniana Exercitus] (in Greek). Thessaloniki: Vanias. ISBN 978-960-288-250-4.
Haldon, John (1999). Warfare, State and Society in the Byzantine World, 565–1204. London: UCL Press. ISBN 1-85728-495-X.
Maas, Michael (2005). The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Justinian. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81746-3.
Velkov, Velizar Iv. (1977). Cities in Thrace and Dacia in Late Antiquity: (Studies and Materials). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: A. M. Hakkert.
Zuckerman, Constantin (2005). "Learning from the Enemy and More. Studies in 'Dark Centuries' Byzantium". Millennium. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter. 2: 79–135. ISBN 978-3-11-018254-5.

Late Roman and early Byzantine provinces (4th–7th centuries AD)

History

As found in the Notitia Dignitatum. Provincial administration reformed and dioceses established by Diocletian, c. 293. Permanent praetorian prefectures established after the death of Constantine I. Empire permanently partitioned after 395. Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa established after 584. After massive territorial losses in the 7th century, the remaining provinces were superseded by the theme system in c. 640–660, although in Asia Minor and parts of Greece they survived under the themes until the early 9th century.

Western Roman Empire (395–476)

Praetorian prefecture
of Gaul

Diocese of Gaul	Alpes Poeninae et Graiae Belgica I Belgica II Germania I Germania II Lugdunensis I Lugdunensis II Lugdunensis III Lugdunensis IV Maxima Sequanorum
Diocese of Vienne¹	Alpes Maritimae Aquitanica I Aquitanica II Narbonensis I Narbonensis II Novempopulania Viennensis
Diocese of Spain	Baetica Balearica Carthaginensis Gallaecia Lusitania Mauretania Tingitana Tarraconensis
Diocese of the Britains	Britannia I Britannia II Flavia Caesariensis Maxima Caesariensis Valentia (?)

Praetorian prefecture
of Italy

Diocese of Suburbicarian Italy	Apulia et Calabria Campania Corsica Lucania et Bruttii Picenum Suburbicarium Samnium Sardinia Sicilia Tuscia et Umbria Valeria
Diocese of Annonarian Italy	Alpes Cottiae Flaminia et Picenum Annonarium Liguria et Aemilia Raetia I Raetia II Venetia et Histria
Diocese of Africa²	Africa proconsularis (Zeugitana) Byzacena Mauretania Caesariensis Mauretania Sitifensis Numidia (divided as Cirtensis and Militiana during the Tetrarchy) Tripolitania (Roman province)

Eastern Roman Empire (395–c. 640)

Praetorian prefecture
of Illyricum

Diocese of Pannonia³	Dalmatia Noricum mediterraneum Noricum ripense Pannonia I Pannonia II Savia Valeria ripensis
Diocese of Dacia	Dacia Mediterranea Dacia Ripensis Dardania Moesia I Praevalitana
Diocese of Macedonia	Achaea Creta Epirus Nova Epirus Vetus Macedonia Prima Macedonia II Salutaris Thessalia

Praetorian prefecture
of the East

Diocese of Thrace⁵	Europa Haemimontus Moesia II⁴ Rhodope Scythia⁴ Thracia
Diocese of Asia⁵	Asia Caria⁴ Hellespontus Islands⁴ Lycaonia (370) Lycia Lydia Pamphylia Pisidia Phrygia Pacatiana Phrygia Salutaris
Diocese of Pontus⁵	Armenia I⁵ Armenia II⁵ Armenia Maior⁵ Armenian Satrapies⁵ Armenia III (536) Armenia IV (536) Bithynia Cappadocia I⁵ Cappadocia II⁵ Galatia I⁵ Galatia II Salutaris⁵ Helenopontus⁵ Honorias⁵ Paphlagonia⁵ Pontus Polemoniacus⁵
Diocese of the East⁵	Arabia Cilicia I Cilicia II Cyprus⁴ Euphratensis Isauria Mesopotamia Osroene Palaestina I Palaestina II Palaestina III Salutaris Phoenice I Phoenice II Libanensis Syria I Syria II Salutaris Theodorias (528)
Diocese of Egypt⁵	Aegyptus I Aegyptus II Arcadia Augustamnica I Augustamnica II Libya Superior Libya Inferior Thebais Superior Thebais Inferior

Other territories
Taurica Quaestura exercitus (536) Spania (552)

¹ Later the Septem Provinciae
² Re-established after reconquest by the Eastern Empire in 534 as the separate Prefecture of Africa
³ Later the Diocese of Illyricum
⁴ Placed under the Quaestura exercitus in 536
⁵ Affected (i.e. boundaries modified, abolished or renamed) by Justinian I's administrative reorganization in 534–536

Byzantine Empire topics

History

Preceding	Roman Empire Later Roman Empire
Early (330–717)	Constantinian–Valentinianic era Constantinian dynasty Valentinianic dynasty Theodosian era Leonid era Justinian era Heraclian era "Byzantine Dark Ages" Twenty Years' Anarchy
Middle (717–1204)	Isaurian era Nikephorian era Amorian era Macedonian era Doukid era Komnenian era Angelid era
Late (1204–1453)	Sack of Constantinople Fourth Crusade Frankokratia Latin Empire Byzantine successor states (Nicaea / Epirus–Thessalonica / Morea / Trebizond) Palaiologan era Decline of the Byzantine Empire Fall of Constantinople
By modern region or territory	Albania Anatolia Armenia Bulgaria Corsica Crete Cyprus Dalmatia Egypt Greece Italy Sardinia Sicily Maghreb Malta Mesopotamia Serbia Spain (Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands) Syria Thrace

Governance

Central

Emperors Coronation Family tree Empresses Imperial bureaucracy Medieval Greek Senate
Early	Praetorian prefects Magister officiorum Comes sacrarum largitionum Comes rerum privatarum Quaestor sacri palatii
Middle	Logothetes tou dromou Sakellarios Logothetes tou genikou Logothetes tou stratiotikou Chartoularios tou sakelliou Chartoularios tou vestiariou Epi tou eidikou Protasekretis Epi ton deeseon
Late	Megas logothetes Mesazon

Provincial

Early	Praetorian prefectures Dioceses Provinces Quaestura exercitus Exarchate of Ravenna Exarchate of Africa
Middle	Themata Kleisourai Bandon Catepanates
Late	Kephale Despotates

Foreign relations

Military

Army

Battle tactics Battles Beacon Generals Mercenaries Military manuals Military units Revolts Wars
Early	Late Roman army East Roman army Foederati Bucellarii Scholae Palatinae Excubitors
Middle	Themata Kleisourai Tourma Droungos Bandon Tagmata Domestic of the Schools Hetaireia Akritai Varangian Guard
Late	Komnenian army Pronoia Vestiaritai Palaiologan army Allagion Paramonai Grand domestic

Navy

Religion and law

Religion	Eastern Orthodoxy Byzantine Rite Hesychasm Patriarchate of Constantinople Saints Oriental Orthodoxy Alexandrian Rite Armenian Rite West Syriac Rite Miaphysitism Ecumenical councils Arianism Monophysitism Paulicianism Iconoclasm Great Schism Bogomilism Mount Athos Missionary activity Bulgaria Moravia Serbs Kievan Rus' Jews
Law	Codex Theodosianus Corpus Juris Civilis Code of Justinian Ecloga Basilika Hexabiblos Mutilation

Culture and society

Architecture

Secular Sacred Cross-in-square Domes
Constantinople	Basilica Cistern Baths of Zeuxippus Blachernae Palace Chora Church City Walls Great Palace of Constantinople Hagia Irene Hagia Sophia Hippodrome Pammakaristos Church Prison of Anemas
Thessalonica	Arch of Galerius and Rotunda Byzantine Bath Hagia Sophia Hagios Demetrios Panagia Chalkeon Walls of Thessaloniki
Ravenna	San Vitale Sant'Apollinare in Classe Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
Other locations	Daphni Monastery Hosios Loukas Nea Moni of Chios Panagia Gorgoepikoos Saint Catherine's Monastery Mystras

Art

Economy

Literature

Everyday life

Science
Learning

Impact
Byzantine commonwealth Byzantine studies Museums Byzantinism Cyrillic script Neo-Byzantine architecture Greek scholars in the Renaissance Third Rome Megali Idea

Byzantine Empire portal

This page was last edited on 20 January 2024, at 14:46

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

History

References

Sources