ABSTRACT
In the Wars of Procopius there are at least two competing visions of the importance and place of women in particular and family in general. The first vision is that of the author, who obviously has the louder voice due to the nature of the source. Procopius is adamant that women and family had no place in the public eye and that, as part of a soldier's or public servant's private life, they should be of secondary priority to one's duty to the state. He singles out individuals or groups who prioritize their families for particular scorn. Yet the fact that he finds such examples is evidence of a second vision of the importance of women and family during this period. Some soldiers and officers, including very high-ranking ones, seem to have considered family affairs worth prioritizing, at least occasionally. This chapter will examine the conflict between these two visions and what it says about the concepts of marriage, family, and duty in the early Byzantine Empire.
