Military Unit of the Scythae Iustiniani: Time and Circumstances of Its Formation

Introduction. Evidence of the military unit of the Scythae Iustiniani has been preserved in papyrus documents of the 6th century from Thebais. The presented article is intended to answer the questions of when and for what purpose this military unit was created. Analysis. The prevailing opinion among researchers is that the Scythae Iustiniani originally consisted of captive Italian Ostrogoths who were deported by the Byzantine authorities to Egypt. Nevertheless, in Byzantine ethnography of the 6th century, Goths who lived in Western Europe could not be called “Scythians.” It may be asserted that the inhabitants of Thrace, where communities of barbarian immigrants lived in the 5th and 6th centuries, were enrolled into this numerus. The author suggests that its formation took place in 541. In this year, Emperor Justinian I sent Belisarius to the East with a large army. The task of the general was to fight the Iranian Great King Khosrow I Anushirvan, who had previously invaded Syria. New Byzantine military units that received the title Iustiniani were among the force subordinated to Belisarius. Results. The original personnel of the Scythae Iustiniani included soldiers who had previously served in the foederati detachments and took part in the wars in Mesopotamia, Africa, and Italy during 526–540. After the end of the hostilities that Belisarius led against the Persians in 541, several units from the army subordinated to him were sent to Thebais. Among them was the Scythae Iustiniani, for whom this province subsequently became a permanent base.