ABSTRACT
The Iohannis or De Bellis Libycis was composed by the North African Flavius Cresconius Corippus around 550 ce and narrates in epic style the struggles of Justinian's Byzantine governor, John Troglita, against the Mauri until his final victory over the African tribes in 548. As an epic, the poem borrows freely from a number of predecessors in the genre, from Vergil to Claudian, as has been demonstrated by various modern scholars. On the other hand, Corippus' work is also firmly rooted in the historical events of his own time, and his epic is also utilized by historians to point to the nature of the turbulence in Africa as Justinian's forces strove to regain the African provinces. The early part of the century in which Corippus' epic is set saw a confederation of North African tribes known as the Laguatan rout the Vandals in 523 ce under the leadership of Cabaon.
