The sixth-century wars between Sasanid Persia and the Eastern Roman Empire have been the object of many studies, including the archaeology of fortified sites. There has not been, however, a detailed treatment of the social, economic, and cultural impact of this chronic warfare on the villages of rural Syria. The problem is partly one of source materials. Except the chronicle of Joshua the Stylite, Procopius’ account of the war of 540–544, and certain hagiographic texts, the literary sources are lacking precise detail about rural conditions, and even these sources tend to concentrate on the fate of the larger cities. A remedy exists for this in the interpretation of the numerous dated inscriptions at the sixth-century sites of northern Syria. It is often possible, with the correct synthesis of local materials, to arrive at significant generalisations about the impact of war on the countryside. The discussion that follows will examine the epigraphy of Syria I and II with a view to understanding the social, economic, demographic and cultural consequences of endemic warfare in the period between the end of the Persian War of Anastasius (502–506) and the Persian War of 604–628. It is hoped that this analysis will facilitate a new and structured reading of the literary sources, all of it directed to the problem of war and society in the Near East on the eve of the Islamic conquest.