AMELIANVS

Episode from Historia Augusta Life of Severus narrating Emperor's encounter with black african soldier(text is not completely conclusively identifiing him as a soldier but given to context its most likely option).It takes place somwhere along Hadrian wall on the borders of current England and Scotland and although entire episode might easily be entirely fictive(as part of narrated bad omens preciding death of Severus.Such stories were what Roman readers expected to read in biographies as a rule of the genre)it still provides us important hint  that for 4th century author black Roman soldier,moreover serving as far as Britain,was not something impossible to see-although,as context also suggest,neither something common.

After narrating about other bad omens(also pointing on black color-color of death) author of HA let this guy serve as bad omen for already sick and old Emperor Septimius Severus on campaign in Britain because of dark color of his skin and also because he approach Emperor wearing other attributes strongly associated in Roman world with death and underworld.Moreover he calls Severus to "be a God"-normally Emperors could officially be proclaimed as Gods only after they died at that point in time.

Some more info and ideas about it for example here:

ianjamesross.com/journal/2018/…

Two Persian soldiers clad in Roman equipment infiltrating Roman fort.

Scene is based on anonymous military treatise(probably written by Syrianus Magister)somewhere between 6th and 9th century which warns about such attempts and judge them as being a common danger.

Older scholarship dated it to 6th century while most of newer tends to favor 9th or even 10th century date of composition at any case it is example of long tradition of military manuals reaching back to days of antiquity.In my sketch I set it in 6th century.Whatever the actual date of original work really is its true that pages of 6th century authors are full of episodes narrating infiltrations of enemy lines in various forms.

In one of the most famous scenes from Galerius victory arch(constructed during early 4th century to commemorate late 3rd century victorious war against Persians) where Emperor is adressing his soldiers(very traditional motif in Roman imperial art) in Thessaloniki.Identity of soldiers is uknown with several candidates being proposed over many years.They can be Praetorians but also newly founded elite legionary units of Herculiani and Joviani which pretty much replaced Praetorians in honor of being number 1 in personal fighting force of the tetrarchic Emperors.Since some shields on the arch still have original emblems preserved identification with Joviani and Herculiani seems even more likely given to the fact one shield clearly bears image of Hercules while at least 3 other shields have eagle(atribute of Jupiter)carved on surface.One shield evidently had a lion depicted.Although They perhaps are Herculiani and Joviani those shield emblems could also easily belong to other legions and even to Praetorians.Sometimes soldiers are identified as members of cavalry or a horse guard but that is also far from secure.This image is definitely one of the most famous to show Roman soldiers during late antiquity and it offers a lot of room for debates and interpratations of what is depicted or not.Nicely visible are also Vexilla flags and Dragon standards( by this point normally used not only by cavalry but also by infantry).

Alexandros of Tralles(ca.525-605 AD) was likely the most significant doctor of late antiquity(and together with Galenos he is usually regarded the most significant doctor of entire antiquity).He flourished during reign of Justinian but saw also that of Justin II,Tiberius II and Maurice during whose reign he devoted rest of his time to creation of medical texts while already very old.

His methods were largely modern-like(despite fate in power of amulets common at his era) therefore he is also called by modern times the most modern of all "Byzantine"(Medieval Roman is a term I would used myself )medics.He had very extensive experience with treatment of several forms of illnesses and healing of physical traumas.As the author of a number of medical writings he focused on exact description of symptoms and the course of individual diseases as well as on prescription of correct medecaments.He was also a pioneer in mental illnesses recognition.

During his life he also traveled across great part of western Europe which lead to modern theory that he perhaps followed Justinianic armies on their reconquest campaigns of the former Roman west but apart from this and the fact that he had to be present in ongoing Justinianic war-zones there is no specific info preserved to confirm this.Even wilder theory exist that he was personal doctor of Justinian and Theodora but this is merely based on his apparent significance and excellency in medical field of his time.