| Summary: | This paper examines Procopius' descriptions of Roman and Persian strategies to control Dara in 530 and Roman and Gothic strategies to control Rome in 537--38 by reconciling texts with the landscapes of the areas concerned, drawing on satellite imagery, cartography and field visits. The traditional approach to this history has been to use written sources only, but, as will be shown, these are subject to multiple interpretations. Study of the landscape provides a different, complementary perspective, which is in some ways more reliable, as the physical features have not changed too significantly over the centuries, and modern technology has opened up new ways of reading them. These two case studies strongly suggest that Procopius is reliable when he is interpreted carefully, and this has implications for studies of the many other events for which he is the main source.
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