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This paper concerns the content, character and transmission of Menander Protector's History, a fragmentary work of classicizing historiography written in the later sixth century. Investigation of a previously unexamined scholion to Strabo's Geography, which recommends Menander's History as an especially accurate source on "Persian customs", establishes the provenance, context and significance of this rare testimonium and questions why the ninth-century scholiast directed readers of Strabo to this late antique text in preference to well-established classical authorities on ancient Persia. As the scholion responds to Strabo's uniquely detailed treatment of Persian religion, particularly magi and Zoroastrian sacrificial rituals, it becomes necessary to reconsider evidence for this subject in Menander's extant writings, notably those fragments of his History, together with a separately transmitted epigram (Palatine Anthology I 101), that concern the martyrdom of Isbozetes (Yazdbōzēd), a Persian magus who converted to Christianity (AD 553). Widening the inquiry to include largely overlooked martyrial acta, particularly an Armenian Passio S. Isbozetae, reveals an early textual tradition characterized by accurate and precise information about magian practices and paraphernalia, which closely and exclusively corresponds to Strabo's account of Zoroastrian fire-cult. Menander's interest in this story of an apostate magus both explains the scholiast's recommendation and casts new light on Menander's aims and sources, including East Syriac hagiographical tradition. In line with recent scholarship, a more variegated picture of Menander's historical writing emerges beyond the focus on diplomacy imposed by the thematically determined transmission of surviving fragments in the Constantinian Excerpta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single entry in the article Etymologicum Magnum, an extract of an unnamed work by Urbicius, is examined to confirm its identity, methodology and sources. A deconstruction of the text demonstrates that it is a complex mixture taken from several sources that originate in different genres and periods, in the textual traditions of both Greco-Roman military literature and Byzantine lexicography.

An overview is presented on Byzantine and Roman military art and science training between the late 4th and mid-6th centuries A.D. Discussion focuses on how mock battles were waged, and how they were covered in the technical manuscripts, conceptual models and literary antecedents of the period.

The study examines the falcum as a significant Roman tactical development of intrinsic interest. It also gives examples of the historical and linguistic problems posed by Greek, Roman and Byzantine military vocabulary and the absence of comprehensive lexical work in this field leaves out many obscurities.