Niewczesna brawura na polu późnoantycznej bitwy w ocenie Ammiana Marcellina i Prokopiusza z Cezarei
Untimely bravery on the late antique battlefield in the opinion of Ammianus Marcellinus and Procopius of Caesarea

Summary/Abstract: The subject of this article are three cases, as reported by Late Roman historians, in which the soldiers, overwhelmed by unreasonable bravado, forced their commanders into a risky battle, against their reasonable judgment. This refers to the sortie of the Gallic legions during the siege of Amida (359 AD), described by Ammianus Marcellinus, as well as the battles of Callinicum (531 AD) and Rome (537 AD), portrayed by Procopius of Caesarea as having been forced upon the commanderin-chief, Belisarius, by the enraged soldiers. These events are analyzed in the light of ancient aretology (going back to philosophical considerations of Plato and Aristotle), distinguishing between the real fortitude and unreasonable audacity, at the same time trying to uncover the reality that stands behind the biased testimonies of the authors. On the aretological level, we see how the initial irrational audacity may transform into a real virtue, if subjected to some reasonable discipline. As for the condition of Late Roman army, we can observe here the role of strong esprit du corps, standing behind these difficult to explain cases of soldiers’ behavior.

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