New research from the University of Oxford argues that early medieval soldiers were recruited from Britain into the Byzantine army in 575AD and fought against the Sasanians in modern-day Armenia and Syria. Those who returned brought back with them metalwork and other goods which were current, and distinctive, and not the kinds of things that were part of normal trading networks. This opens up a startlingly new view onto early medieval English history.
‘These weren’t men dressed up as Roman soldiers, they were Roman soldiers.’
In 575, the Byzantine army urgently needed more troops because of the renewed war with the Sasanians. Emperor Justin II (565-578) conducted a major recruiting campaign of troops from western Europe. Dr Gittos argues that this included men from Britain who were attracted by the allure of adventure and reward.
This explains why so many rare objects from the eastern Mediterranean have been found in graves from the period in England. At Prittlewell (Essex), a man was buried in a wood-panelled chamber with a copper flagon from the shrine of St Sergius in Sergiopolis (Syria). The man buried in a ship at Sutton Hoo (Suffolk) had not only silver and copper dishes from the east Mediterranean, but also lumps of bitumen and textiles from Syria. At Taplow (Berkshire), a man was buried with a pedestal bowl so rare only three comparable examples are known, all from Egypt.
How did such objects get to England in the decades around 600AD? Traditionally, they’ve been seen as the results of gifts or trade. This new explanation suggests a simpler and more direct route – with significant implications for our understanding of the period.
‘This is the most exciting thing I’ve written: the more I researched, the more pieces of evidence fitted into place.’
People in the early middle ages were so much more connected than we tend to think and these objects must have been prized not only for being exotic but also for the stories they evoked.
Read Dr Gittos' article below:
