Justinian's death and the Byzantine conquests

[Absolution]

Yesterday I saw a film in the history channel about the Dark Ages of Europe.
When they reached Justinian, they said that he wanted to take control of many Mediterranean Sea coasts, like the original Roman Empire did.
It was a relative success. They said that he held many territories sorrounding the "Roman Lake".
And they said that right after his death, the Byzantine Empire decided to return their overseas army back to Byzantium, because they couldn't afford it.

It made me wonder - was it the death of Justinian that harmed the Byzantine ability to hold armies overseas?
And if he had died 20 years later, would he have had to return those armies too?

They didn't mention any economical problems related to the conquests in the last years of Justinian's reign.

 

[Ajidica]

Yesterday I saw a film in the history channel about the Dark Ages of Europe.

Well, there are your first two problems.

They didn't mention any economical problems related to the conquests in the last years of Justinian's reign.

Then it was a crap documentary. Justinian's conquests (along with the brutal wars in Spain), combined with the Plague and some of his domestic policies left the Byzantine state nearly broke despite heavy taxation.

And they said that right after his death, the Byzantine Empire decided to return their overseas army back to Byzantium, because they couldn't afford it.

Not really. With the exception of Justinian's adventure in Spain, Byzantium held on to the two primary conquests-North Africa and Italy-for quite some time. Byzantine control over North Africa lasted until the Arab conquest around 660CE. After Justinian the Byzantines lost control over Northern Italy, but held on to Southern Italy and Sicily for a while. The last Byzantine outpost in Italy (Bari) was lost in the 1070's.

It made me wonder - was it the death of Justinian that harmed the Byzantine ability to hold armies overseas?
And if he had died 20 years later, would he have had to return those armies too?

If anything, the death of Justinian prolonged the length of the Byzantine Empire. Justinian was rapidly making himself unpopular over the last decade or so with his expensive conquests and taxation. Another two decades of that would have seen him overthrown.
Also, as far as I can remember, the Field Armies were never 'recalled' from Italy or North Africa. Troops may have been shuffled around the Empire, but the Field Armies in Italy and North Africa by and large stayed in those areas. I believe Heraclius brought a large portion of the North African Field Army with him when he became Emperor, but the Byzantine Empire was in dire circumstances then. I'm probably forgetting several things about the organization of the Field Armys, but the organization of the Byzantine state has never been my strong point.

 

[Absolution]

Then it was a crap documentary. Justinian's conquests (along with the brutal wars in Spain), combined with the Plague and some of his domestic policies left the Byzantine state nearly broke despite heavy taxation.

They did mention that in his early years, he had to drain money from the people in devious ways in order to start his campagins.
But they didn't mention that he had to consider returning his army back.

Not really. With the exception of Justinian's adventure in Spain, Byzantium held on to the two primary conquests-North Africa and Italy-for quite some time. Byzantine control over North Africa lasted until the Arab conquest around 660CE. After Justinian the Byzantines lost control over Northern Italy, but held on to Southern Italy and Sicily for a while. The last Byzantine outpost in Italy (Bari) was lost in the 1070's.

Didn't they loose some land areas in the Balkans after this death?
and in southern France?

If anything, the death of Justinian prolonged the length of the Byzantine Empire. Justinian was rapidly making himself unpopular over the last decade or so with his expensive conquests and taxation. Another two decades of that would have seen him overthrown.

In the film they said that in the early years he became unpoppular, after stealing money from the people for his campaigns, and the slaughter at the Hippodrome.

And anyway - I'm not talking about the Middle east and the eastern parts of North Africa. I mostly refer to the coasts which once had been under Western Roman control.

 

[Ajidica]

They did mention that in his early years, he had to drain money from the people in devious ways in order to start his campagins.
But they didn't mention that he had to consider returning his army back.

In the early period the state finances were in their best state, due to the lack of expensive wars the state had been engaged in under Anastasius and Justin.
However, poor finances later on as the Plague hit and the war in Italy dragged on severely limited the strength of army in Italy. This certiantly wasn't helped as Justinian had started to distrust Belisarius.

Didn't they loose some land areas in the Balkans after this death?
and in southern France?

Perhaps, I can't really remember. If they did lose territory there, it had very little impact.

In the film they said that in the early years he became unpoppular, after stealing money from the people for his campaigns, and the slaughter at the Hippodrome.

Justinian rarely was very popular, although after the Nika Riots his rule became far more secure.

 

[Masada]

Was the film called Prokopios strikes back?

 

[Lone Wolf]

Was the film called Prokopios strikes back?

What does Prokopios has to do with the "right after his death, the Byzantine Empire decided to return their overseas army back to Byzantium" concept?

 

[Masada]

That might be the sole claim that isn't taken from the Secret Histories.

 

[Absolution]

No it wasn't. It was called The Dark Middle Age, or something like that.
It summerized the early Middle Age in Europe.
From the fall of Rome, until the Crusades.

 

[Ajidica]

Google who Procopius was, and then you will understand Masada's comment.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Google who Procopius was, and then you will understand Masada's comment.

Was this directed to me? I know who Procopius of Caesarea was, thank you very much It's just that I didn't see any claims from that historian in the opening post, though Masada probably meant post #3 as the target of his comment.

Didn't they loose some land areas in the Balkans after this death?
and in southern France?

Justinian didn't control much, if any, of Southern France. The Byzantines eventually lost quite a lot of land in the Balkans, but not immediately after Justinian's death.

 

[schlaufuchs]

No it wasn't. It was called The Dark Middle Age, or something like that.
It summerized the early Middle Age in Europe.
From the fall of Rome, until the Crusades.

I think I know which show you're talking about. Like all "real" History Channel programming, it's important to remember the "facts" on it are highly overgeneralized and the historiography is at least 50-60 years behind modern scholarship.

 

[Lone Wolf]

In general, anyone writing about Justinian's era should do something more then retell Procopius. I don't think that anyone doubts that

 

[innonimatu]

Not really. With the exception of Justinian's adventure in Spain, Byzantium held on to the two primary conquests-North Africa and Italy-for quite some time. Byzantine control over North Africa lasted until the Arab conquest around 660CE.

Justinian's adventure into Hispania did not went that bad either. At some point the byzantines controlled the major and wealthiest cities of the peninsula, possibly the whole of Hispania Ulterior and beyond. If they had kept pushing and had exploited the still remaining religious conflicts in the peninsula they might have retained a worthwhile province there. But handling religion was always a problem for the bizantines.

 

[Plotinus]

Justinian's unpopularity in his later years was particularly associated with his increasingly heterodox religion, since he was leaning more and more towards monophysitism. Eventually he became an outright aphthartodocetist, which really annoyed everyone as no-one could remember how to spell it.

 

[Arakhor]

Now you're just showing off, Plotinus!

 

[Plotinus]

Come on, I don't get much of a chance to do that around here!

 

[Kyriakos]

Apthartodocetist? What non-destructible element is that docesis about?

 

[TheLastOne36]

Justinian's unpopularity in his later years was particularly associated with his increasingly heterodox religion, since he was leaning more and more towards monophysitism. Eventually he became an outright aphthartodocetist, which really annoyed everyone as no-one could remember how to spell it.

I wish I could pull words like that out of my head.