Page 264 - Envoys and Political Communication in the Late Antique West 411 - 533

Envoys and Political Communication,411–533

not-uncommon event that one should die en route; and a possible mutual
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check on dealings with the other party. Even where several envoys un-
dertook a mission, however, one individual may have been awarded or
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assumed a place of seniority. No source mentions the size of the retinue
which travelled with any embassy; Constantius’ claim that the smallness
of Germanus’ entourage showed his humility is an indication that large
retinues were common, as part of a display of status directed at both the
envoy’s home community, and the party he approached. 70

Accommodation and transportation
The imperial courtatConstantinople provided lodging for envoys from
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the western emperor, the bishop of Rome, and the Persian shah. Provin-
cial envoys to western courts, however, had to shift for themselves. This
was the case even for those provincial envoys to the western imperial
court or that of its Ostrogothic successors who were provided with trans-
portvia the cursus publicus: Sidonius Apollinaris, travelling to Rome in
467 to make representations on behalf of the Auvergne, was supplied

(cf. ibid., 25–39: four envoys). Seventh century: Fredegar, Chron. iv, 40, 62, 73, 85; assumed in
Marculf, Formulae i, 9. Ganshof, ‘Merowingisches Gesandschaftswesen’, 170–1.
Some instances of only one envoy being named may arise from the eulogistic nature of the
source, which ignores its subject’s partners, or from distance from events (e.g. Ennodius in Vita
Epiphani does not mention partners in Epiphanius’ journeys of the 470s, butdoes name partners
for two of the three journeys of the 490s). Other embassies, however, clearly consisted of only
one principal legate, sometimes drawing comment, e.g. Constantius, Vita Germani, 28 (unus),
30 (iter illius comitatu proprio solitarium); Procopius, Anecdota xvi, 2 (maliciously associating Peter
patricius, as the sole envoy on his first legation for Justinian to Theodahad, with the murder of
Amalasuntha; Peter was accompanied by a second envoy, Athanasius, on his return to Italy (Cass.,
Variae x, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24; Procopius, Wars v, 3.30, 4.17–31;cf. v, 6.25–7, 7.11–25; PLRE iii,
142, 994–5)). Of his two embassies to Persia, Peter alone is recorded on the journey to Ctesiphon
in 550 (Procopius, Wars viii, 11.2–4), buthe had atleastone fellow envoy, Eusebius, when he
negotiated with Chosroes’ nominee Isdigousnas at Daras in 561 (Menander Protector, Fr., 6.1 bis
Blockley 65, 71). There is a noticeable change to one envoy in legations from Italy in the time
of Theodahad (Cass., Variae x, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24; xi, 13 from the Senate of Rome).
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Companionship: e.g. Priscus, Fr., 11.2 (Fr. Class. Hist., 247, 263). Death en route: e.g. Rufius
Antonius Agrypnius Volusianus (Vita Melania ii, 19–24; PLRE ii, 1185); Isdigousnas (PLRE
iii, 723); Gregory of Tours, Hist. x, 2. Mutual check: e.g. Procopius, Wars i, 22.15; v, 4.23–5
(Theodahad’s envoys to Justinian, Liberius, and Opilio).
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Procopius, Wars ii, 2.1–2 (quoted at head of chapter 6); vi, 22.19; Gregory of Tours, Hist. viii, 44
(Baddo, senior habebatur). A clear description of two envoys participating jointly in an audience is
ibid., ix, 20 (Gregory and Felix).
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Constantius, Vita Germani, 19, 20, 30. Gregory of Tours, Hist. vi, 2, describing a shipwreck
of an embassy returning from Constantinople to Tours, refers to multis puerorum of the envoys
drowning.
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For envoys of western emperor and shah: De cer. i, 87, 89 (Reiske 393, 401–2). Of the pope:
Collectio Avellana, 116.4, 158.3 ( = Hormisdas, Indiculi of 515, 519): mansio.
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