The authorship of the Strategikon remains debated, and scholars will likely never be certain of it’s precise author. At the very least, most scholars of the Later Roman army accept that the treatise was published at the direction of the central government, even if direct imperial authorship cannot be completely ascertained.

Written in the 590s A.D., the Strategikon is an elementary instruction manual that presents an overview of the daily routines of the contemporary Roman army. While the writing of military treatises, known as tactica, had a long tradition in Greco-Roman writing, the Strategikon is distinguished by it’s deliberately simple Greek prose and use of technical language. Detailed information about everyday military practices, such as training, organization, and tactics are presented in simple Greek, rather than in the erudite, classicizing prose of elite literature, reflective of the Greek actually spoken in army camps. It also contains an unprecedented level of technical language, utilizing terms and commands employed by the soldiers themselves. Such “vulgar” terms rarely appear in elite literature (including earlier tactica), making the Stragikon a unique and highly valuable document when studying the Late Roman army. The rejection of the stylistic tropes of elite literature in favor of explicit technical language shows it’s intended use as a practical text, a handbook of sorts for regimental officers. That said, the text is not entirely comprehensive, as regimental organization is deliberately simplified and standardized for explainatory purposes.

It is this use of simple prose and technical language that distinguishes the Strategikon. While most tactica were personal and/or amateur commentaries written within the stylistic confines of elite Greco-Roman literature, the Strategikon’s language reflects intimate practical experience with the army. Maurice spent much of his reign on campaign, and would have been deeply familiar with army life, possessing the knowledge necessary for the text’s technical language. Further evidence for direct imperial authorship is that the Strategikon is not dedicated to the reigning emperor, unique amongst Roman tactica. At the very least, the text was clearly sponsored by the Roman state. While scholars cannot say with absolute certainty that the Strategikon was written by Maurice himself, it is clear, based upon the language used, that the text was commissioned by the central government, and that, at a minimum, Maurice was aware of its publication.