Abstract Generals, Armies of the East, and the Notitia Dignitatum This article provides a critical review of A. Kaldellis and M. Kruse’s book on the East Roman field armies, in which they attempt a renewed narrative of military history from Julian to Heraclius, supported by a redating of the Notitia Dignitatum Orientis to the 440s. Their revision of the history and fasti of the magistri militum , while rightfully calling for a more cautious interpretation of allusive literary sources, gives too much significance to the documentation’s shortcomings, and misuses legal evidence. Their revised history of the regional field armies also rests on methodological errors (e.g. confusion between comitatenses and the comitatus ), which lead them to exaggerate the organizational and numerical differences between the fourth- and fifth century military. Therefore, the hypothesis of a major military reorganization under by Theodosius II to face the Hunnic threat on the Danube in the 440s does not withstand scrutiny. Although the authors could be right in ascribing the Notitia Dignitatum Orientis to the reign of Theodosius II, there is no reason to believe that the document was compiled after 437/38, and a date of c . 425/7 might be preferred.
Maxime Emion (Wed,) studied this question.