In around 550 the Latin poet Corippus composed his epic Iohannis to celebrate the forgotten wars of a Byzantine general against the 'Moorish' or 'Berber' peoples of North Africa. This book explores the rich narrative of that poem and the changing political, social and cultural environment within which he worked. It reappraises the dramatic first decades of Byzantine North Africa (533-550) and discusses the ethnography of Moorish Africa, the diplomatic and military history of the imperial administration, and the religious transformations (both Christian and 'pagan') of this period. By considering the Iohannis as a political text, it sheds new light on the continued importance of poetry and literature on the southern fringes of imperial power, and presents a model for reading epic as a historical source. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

‘[This] should be the first book consulted by historians interested in using Corippus’ Iohannis as a source. Moreover, it is an excellent book for those with a passion for late antique North Africa or late Latin epic poetry.’

David Alan Parnell Source: Bryn Mawr Classical Review