Christopher Lillington-Martin

Research Interests

Christopher´s research centres on historiography and characterisation in Procopius, which is informed by his research and fieldwork on late antique military history and archaeology, specializing in the sixth century. His related research interests include the Late Antique Mediterranean world, trade, Flavius Belisarius and the Emperor Justinian. He has participated in archaeological projects at a number of sites in Britain (Calleva Atrebatum), Georgia (Archaeolopois), Spain (Pollentia and Can Blai) and Turkey (Dara and Cremna). He commenced his part-time Coventry University funded doctoral research in 2018, within the Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities, Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

Publications

Most recent

“Procopius and his Justinianic World” in Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Bizantinística, edited by Juan Signes Codoñer and David Pérez Moro, 43 (2023), pages 15-25;

Edited volume

Principal editor, Procopius of Caesarea: Literary and Historical Interpretations, www.routledge.com/9781472466044 (2018)

Forthcoming Chapters

“Antonina patricia: Theodora’s Fixer?” in Empresses-in-waiting: Power, Performance, and the Female Court of the Later Roman Empire (4th-7thc.) edited by Rollinger, C. and Viermann, N. (Liverpool University Press).

“Procopius´ Xenophontic Dream” in: The Reception of Xenophon edited by Gish, D. and Farrell, C. (Brill, Leiden).

Chapters

“Introduction” and chapter 10, “Procopius, πάρεδρος / quaestor, Codex Justinianus, I.27 and Belisarius’ strategy in the Mediterranean”, in Procopius of Caesarea: Literary and Historical Interpretations (edited volume above);

“Procopius on the struggle for Dara and Rome” in: War and Warfare in Late Antiquity: Current Perspectives (Late Antique Archaeology 8.1-8.2 2010-11) by Sarantis A. and Christie N. (2010-11) edd. (Brill, Leiden 2013), pages 599-630, ISBN 978-90-04-25257-8;

“Fortifications in Spain” in: War and Warfare in Late Antiquity: Current Perspectives (Late Antique Archaeology 8.1-8.2 2010-11) by Sarantis A. and Christie N. (2010-11) edd. (Brill, Leiden 2013), pages 278-82 (co-authored with Oriol Olesti Vila).

“La defensa de Roma por Belisario” in: Justiniano I el Grande (Desperta Ferro) edited by Alberto Pérez Rubio, no. 18 (July 2013), pages 40-45, ISSN 2171-9276

Articles

“Turning Traitor: Shifting Loyalties in Procopius’ Gothic Wars” in BYZANTINA ΣΥΜΜΕΙΚΤΑ 31 (2021), pages 281-305 (co-authored with Michael E Stewart) (ekt.gr)

“Hard and Soft Power on the Eastern Frontier: a Roman Fortlet between Dara and Nisibis, Mesopotamia, Turkey, Prokopios’ Mindouos?” in: The Byzantinist, edited by Douglas Whalin, Issue 2 (2012), pages 4-5.

 https://oxfordbyzantinesociety.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/obsnews2012final.pdf

“Procopius, Belisarius and the Goths” in: Journal of the Oxford University History Society: Odd Alliances, (2009) edited by H. Ellis and G. Iglesias Rogers, pp. 1-17. ISSN 1742917X, https://sites.google.com/site/jouhsinfo/issue7specialissueforinternetexplorer  

“Fragments of a Statue Base? Report on RIB 642 and 703”, British Epigraphy Society Workshop II (York 2008), pages 1-10, http://www.britishepigraphysociety.org/uploads/9/7/3/4/9734305/rib_642_and_703.pdf,

“Archaeological and Ancient Literary Evidence for a Battle near Dara Gap, Turkey, AD 530: Topography, Texts and Trenches” in: BAR –S1717, 2007 The Late Roman Army in the Near East from Diocletian to the Arab Conquest, 

edited by Ariel S. Lewin and Pietrina Pellegrini, pages 299-311.

“Pilot Field-Walking Survey near Ambar & Dara, SE Turkey”, British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara: Travel Grant Report, Bulletin of British Byzantine Studies, 32 (2006), pages 40-45;

“Justinianic Greece”, British School at Athens: Hector & Elizabeth Catling Travel Bursary Report, Bulletin of British Byzantine Studies, 30 (2004), pages 29-35;

“Justinianic Fortifications in S.E. Turkey”, British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara: Travel Grant Report, Bulletin of British Byzantine Studies, 29 (2003), pages 41-43.

Reviews

Review of: Roman military architecture on the frontiers: armies and their architecture in late antiquity edited by R. Collins, M. Symonds and M. Weber. Oxford; Philadelphia: Oxbow Books (2015) for Bryn Mawr Classical Review (6 October 2017), http://www.bmcreview.org/2017/10/20171011.html;

Review of: Theodahad: A Platonic King at the Collapse of Ostrogothic Italy by Massimiliano Vitiello (2014) for University of Toronto Quarterly, Issue 85:3 (Summer 2016), 470-472. http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/utq.85.3.470

Public Engagement

Interview: “The Battle of Dara, 530” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgTE_nE9LpA&index=2&list=PLmuNzB7fPSDeiRufh90IzKxHz0p3_s5xc (2018)

Interview: “Conversing the Classics, Series II – Procopius”, recorded 2017, uploaded August 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W46sCwldTOs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR...

Interview: “Secret Histories”, Classics Confidential: Secret Histories, with Christopher Lillington-Martin – Classics Confidential

“Source for a handbook: Reflections of the Wars in the Strategikon and archaeology” in:  Ancient Warfare edited  by Jasper Oorthuys, Vol. IV, Issue 3 (June 2010), pages 33-37, http://www.karwanswarfare-issues/49-ancient-warfare-iv-3.html;

“Roman tactics defeat Persian pride” in Ancient Warfare edited by Jasper Oorthuys, Vol. II, Issue 1 (February 2008), pages 36-40, http://www.kwarfare/ancient-warfare-issues/33-ancient-warfare-ii-1.html

Esteem indicators

Co-organizer of conference and workshop focused on Procopius: Oxford, 2014, and Barcelona, 2023.

Research visit, Fondation Hardt, Geneva, funded by the Classical Association, July 2023.

Peer reviewer of book proposals for University of Pennsylvania Press and Brill.

Peer reviewer of articles for Estudios bizantinos and Byzantion.

Invited speaker at conferences / seminars (2005-2023) at the Universities of:

Lisboa (UNL); Évora; Leeds; Oxford (Kellogg, St. John’s, Corpus Christi Colleges); Reading; Barcelona; Roehampton; Bristol; JGU Mainz; Sofia; Exeter; Niš; Toronto; Halle; Mardin, Basilicata, Swansea, Istanbul, Bonn, Muş Alparslan and Innsbruck.

Associate Researcher, Oxford Centre for Late Antiquity, October 2014-present.

MCR social member, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, June 2016-2021.

Teacher Study Visitor (temporary Fellow), Pembroke College, Cambridge, 2014-16.

Fellow of the Society for Education and Training, elected 2012.