Acknowledgements
Without the following people, this book would not have been possible.
The taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Australia, anōšag bawēd. My supervisors Peter Van Nuffelen, Ghazzal Dabiri, Lieve Van Hoof and especially Andrew Gillett, who have been consistently forgiving of my missteps and enthusiasms and have always led me back to the right path. Samuel Lieu, Mark Vermes and Michael Jackson-Bonner who have very kindly allowed me to use their unpublished translations. Katrien De Graef and Almut Hintze who most generously answered my unsolicited requests for advice. My teachers at the ANU, especially Elizabeth Minchin, Zahra Taheri, Mohammed Seyyed-Torabi, Peter Londey, Paul Burton, Robert Barnes and Joan Stivala. Sandra Duggan, whose Year 12 English class lies at the base of all of this. Bronwen Neil, who has been a great support in my post-doctoral career. I also wish to thank Alanna Nobbs, Ann Moffatt, Eva Anagnostou, Arjan Zuiderhoek and Koenraad Verboven who have always been most collegial and encouraging towards me.
My colleagues and officemates at the University of Ghent: Jeroen Wijnendaele, Andy Hilkins, Marianna Mazzola, Maria Coterno, Marta Bigus, Kasey Reed, Milan Pajic, Lorenzo Focanti, Panos Manafis, Raf Praet, Kristof Vermote, Amber Brüsewitz, Linsey Vandevoorde, Toon Bongers, Dorien Leder and, though it pains me to say, even Alexis “if this language is totally deciphered it is for losers” Daveloose.
My good friend William Bullock-Jenkins, whose encouragement and linguistic help has been invaluable. Ruben Nikoghosyan who helped me revise a particularly difficult chapter. Phoebe Garrett who proofread the manuscript. Mahnaz Alimardanian, Asefeh Zeinalabedini, Masoumeh Tajvidi, Alireza Khoshkbarforusha and Mahtab Asadian who patiently endured some very questionable Farsi.
Work on this book was greatly aided by the receipt of prizes from the Australasian Society for Classical Studies and Macquarie University. It was completed under the aegis of the ARC research project Crises of Leadership in the Eastern Roman Empire 250–1000 at Macquarie University.
Outside of the academy, my mother and father who have always encouraged me, as well as my parents-in-law and sister Kelly who took on a heavy burden during my stays in Ghent. My very oldest friends: Steve Pokorra, Mick White, Richard Ko, Maple Ko, Warwick Smith, Sareh Sangsari, Beck Bidstrup, Fulvia Hughes, Nick Neal, Simon Long, Brad Huvel, Adam Rumbold and Denise Madden. I also wish to thank Teddi Dols at Brill whose responsiveness I have greatly appreciated.
Finally my wife Kristin, daughter Ivy and son Edwin, to whom I owe a great debt of time and attention and ought now return.