Patrick Hurley

Patrick Hurley

Instructor

Research Areas

  • European History

About

Research Interests

  • Roman Republican Political and Military History.
  • Roman Imperial Political and Military History.
  • The Imperial Roman Army.
  • Roman Imperial Historiography.
  • Early and Middle Byzantine Political, Military, and Religious History (AD284-717).
  • Early Medieval Papacy (AD452-882).
  • Early Medieval Italy (AD 493-902, Political, Religious, and Military History).

Current Projects

  • “Grand Guidelines, not Grand Strategies: The Case of Ctesiphon and its role in Roman military strategy.” This discusses the Parthian and Sassanid capital of Ctesiphon and its perception by the Romans as the limit of empire, as well as the transition of how Ctesiphon went from being perceived as a viable military target for the Romans in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD to being perceived in the late 4th century as a limit as to how far the Romans should go.
  • “Our Kind of Roman? Long-term indicators of civilian support in Carausius’ revolt in Britain, AD 286-93.” Examines how Carausius’ revolt and the support of it may have had to do with a more conservative view of the empire, and how the inhabitants of Britain, fearing that the reforms of Diocletian would negatively affect them, supported Carausius in order to maintain an economic status quo in Roman Britain.

Courses Taught

  • Honors Western Civilization to 1648 (HY 105)
  • Comparative World Civilization (HY 110)
  • History of Greece (HY 385)
  • American Civilization since 1865 (HY 104)

Selected Publications

  • “Some thoughts on the Emperor Aurelian as ‘persecutor.’” Classical World106.1 (Fall 2012).
  • “Edessa and its aftermath: a reconstruction of events before and after the capture of Valerian.” Hadrianic Society Bulletin, January 2005.