20 Best Books On Byzantine Empire (2023 Update)

A captivating account of the legendary empire that made western civilization possible the name evokes grandeur and exoticism—gold, cunning, and complexity. in this unique book, judith herrin unveils the riches of a quite different civilization. avoiding a standard chronological account of the byzantine empire's millennium—long history, she identifies the fundamental questions about byzantium—what it was, and what special significance it holds for us today. – bringing the latest scholarship to a general audience in accessible prose, herrin focuses each short chapter around a representative theme, event, monument, or historical figure, and examines it within the full sweep of byzantine history—from the foundation of constantinople, the magnificent capital city built by constantine the great, to its capture by the ottoman turks. – she argues that byzantium's crucial role as the eastern defender of christendom against muslim expansion during the early middle ages made europe—and the modern western world—possible. herrin captivates us with her discussions of all facets of byzantine culture and society. she walks us through the complex ceremonies of the imperial court. she describes the transcendent beauty and power of the church of hagia sophia, as well as chariot races, monastic spirituality, diplomacy, and literature. she reveals the fascinating worlds of military usurpers and ascetics, eunuchs and courtesans, and artisans who fashioned the silks, icons, ivories, and mosaics so readily associated with byzantine art. – an innovative history written by one of our foremost scholars, byzantium reveals this great civilization's rise to military and cultural supremacy, its spectacular destruction by the fourth crusade, and its revival and final conquest in 1453.

The byzantine empire's disastrous defeat by the seljuk turks at manzikert in 1071 effectively marked the end of what is often described as the 'middle' period of byzantine history. thereafter, surrounded on all sides by younger, more vigorous nations, the once all-powerful empire slipped into a steady decline which, ultimately, was to prove terminal. however, the empire's demise was anything but peaceful, and, one way or another, for much of the last four centuries of its existence it was to find itself in a state of virtually constant war. this book examines the fascinating history of the byzantine empire and its armies from 1118-1461 ad.

If you want to discover captivating stories of people and events of the byzantine empire then keep reading… the byzantine empire was founded during the chaotic third century. it was the time when revolts and civil wars were common, and roman emperors merely lasted for a year. despite being one of the most captivating historical periods of all time, the byzantine empire is a lesser known one and it's rare to find a page-turning resource on the topic. but that is about to change. in this new captivating history book, you will… explore a story of power and glory, anarchy and order, paganism and christianity, war and peace, the west and the east get familiar with the roots of the greatest controversies that defined the history of europe and the entirety of western civilization – the conflict between the catholic and orthodox churches, and the one between christianity and islam discover stories of remarkable emperors you've never heard of and about the astonishing bravery of graeco-roman heroes such as constantine dragases, who resisted the ottomans until the end, and belisarius, who fought the persians to reconquer what used to be the western empire learn more about the entire era called the byzantine empire in less time compared to reading boring textbooks all this and much more awaits you, so get instant access now by clicking the "add to cart" button!

From the new york times-bestselling "standard-bearer for alternate history" a spy takes on the enemies of the byzantine empire (usa today). in another, very different timeline–one in which mohammed embraced christianity and islam never came to be–the byzantine empire still flourishes in the fourteenth century, and wondrous technologies are emerging earlier than they did in our own. having lost his family to the ravages of smallpox, basil argyros has decided to dedicate his life to byzantium. a stalwart soldier and able secret agent, basil serves his emperor courageously, going undercover to unearth persia's dastardly plots and disrupting the dark machinations of his beautiful archenemy, the persian spy mirrane, while defusing dire threats emerging from the western realm of the franco-saxons. but the world basil so staunchly defends is changing rapidly, and he must remain ever vigilant, for in this great game of empires, the player who controls the most advanced tools and weaponry–tools like gunpowder, printing, vaccines, and telescopes–must certainly emerge victorious. a collection of interlocking stories that showcase the courage, ingenuity, and breathtaking derring-do of superspy basil argyros, agent of byzantium presents the great harry turtledove at his alternate-world-building best. at once intricate, exciting, witty, and wildly inventive, this is a many-faceted gem from a master of the genre.

The oxford history of byzantium is the only history to provide in concise form detailed coverage of byzantium from its roman beginnings to the fall of constantinople and assimilation into the turkish empire. lively essays and beautiful illustrations portray the emergence and development of a distinctive civilization, covering the period from the fourth century to the mid-fifteenth century. the authors – all working at the cutting edge of their particular fields – outlinethe political history of the byzantine state and bring to life the evolution of a colourful culture.in ad 324, the emperor constantine the great chose byzantion, an ancient greek colony at the mouth of the thracian bosphorous, as his imperial residence. he renamed the place 'constaninopolis nova roma', 'constantinople, the new rome' and the city (modern istanbul) became the eastern capital of the later roman empire. the new rome outlived the old and constantine's successors continued to regard themselves as the legitimate emperors of rome, just as their subjects called themselves romaioi, orromans long after they had forgotten the latin language. in the sixteenth century, western humanists gave this eastern roman empire ruled from constantinople the epithet 'byzantine'. against a backdrop of stories of emperors, intrigues, battles, and bishops, this oxford history uncovers the hidden mechanisms – economic, social, and demographic – that underlay the history of events. the authors explore everyday life in cities and villages, manufacture and trade, machinery of government, the church as an instrument of state, minorities, education, literary activity, beliefs and superstitions, monasticism, iconoclasm, the rise of islam, and the fusion with western, or latin,culture. byzantium linked the ancient and modern worlds, shaping traditions and handing down to both eastern and western civilization a vibrant legacy.

This extraordinary endurance is all the more remarkable because the byzantine empire was favored neither by geography nor by military preponderance. yet it was the western empire that dissolved during the fifth century. the byzantine empire so greatly outlasted its western counterpart because its rulers were able to adapt strategically to diminished circumstances, by devising new ways of coping with successive enemies. it relied less on military strength and more on persuasion—to recruit allies, dissuade threatening neighbors, and manipulate potential enemies into attacking one another instead. even when the byzantines fought—which they often did with great skill—they were less inclined to destroy their enemies than to contain them, for they were aware that today’s enemies could be tomorrow’s allies. born in the fifth century when the formidable threat of attila’s huns were deflected with a minimum of force, byzantine strategy continued to be refined over the centuries, incidentally leaving for us several fascinating guidebooks to statecraft and war.the grand strategy of the byzantine empire is a broad, interpretive account of byzantine strategy, intelligence, and diplomacy over the course of eight centuries that will appeal to scholars, classicists, military history buffs, and professional soldiers.

Although perceived since the sixteenth century as the most impressive literary achievement of byzantine culture, historical writing nevertheless remains little studied as literature. historical texts are still read first and foremost for nuggets of information, as main sources for the reconstruction of the events of byzantine history. whatever can be called literary in these works has been considered as external and detachable from the facts. the 'classical tradition' inherited by byzantine writers, the features that byzantine authors imitated and absorbed, are regarded as standing in the way of understanding the true meaning of the text and, furthermore, of contaminating the reliability of the history. chronicles, whose language and style are anything but classicizing, have been held in low esteem, for they are seen as providing a mere chronological exposition of events. they are concerned with historical and visual narratives that date from the sixth to the fourteenth century, and aim to show that literary analyses and the study of pictorial devices, far from being tangential to the study of historical texts, are preliminary to their further study, exposing the deeper structures and purposes of these texts.

An aura of romance has clung about the varangians for over six centuries. this book examines how the norsemen came to be drawn into the imperial service until the greatest of all the emperors of the east, basil ii, formed them into the regiment of guards which was to give unique service to the empire. it surveys the history of the regiment down to the collapse of high byzantium in 1204 and traces the remnant of the varangians to the very last day of the empire in may 1453.

First edition first american ed. hardcover. near fine /very good. not an ex library book. 488 pages including the index. dust jacket has short tear top of front endflap no chips. no price on endflap.

Discover the byzantine empire history from start to finish ★★buy the paperback version of this book, and get the kindle ebook version included for free ★★ if you asked someone today when the roman empire ended, they might tell you 476 ce, the year that the final roman emperor in the west died. if you had asked someone at the time though, they might have told you that rome was still very much alive–in constantinople. the civilization known to us as the byzantine empire was known in its day as the continuation of rome and everything it had represented. the byzantines were not simply persistent romans: they were their own distinct and long-lived society, both roman and more. from constantine's founding of constantinople in 330 ce to the city's fall in 1453 ce, the city and all that was controlled from it had an impact on the world, well beyond its boundaries. as the second longest-lived empire in the history of the world, one might say that this was inevitable, but it was the leadership it had during the best periods in its history that truly made the difference. a truly captivating period, the history of the byzantine empire will give readers stories of order and chaos, glory and catastrophe, paganism and christianity. in this book, you will learn about… the division of east and west the fall of rome justinian's golden age religious disputes iconoclasm the reign of basil the bulgar-slayer the crusades the final fall and much more… the history of the byzantine empire tells a tale of monumental victories and equally significant defeats–of a phoenix rising from the ashes over and over again until it simply ran out of miracles. it is also the tale of civilization which impacted and influenced virtually every one of its neighbors well after its fall and whose culture has persisted in some ways to this day. don't wait another moment to enjoy from this information – get your copy of the byzantine empire right away

Byzantine art has been an underappreciated field, often treated as an adjunct to the arts of the medieval west, if considered at all. in illustrating the richness and diversity of art in the byzantine world, this handbook will help establish the subject as a distinct field worthy of serious inquiry. essays consider byzantine art as art made in the eastern mediterranean world, including the balkans, russia, the near east and north africa, between the years 330 and 1453. much of this art was made for religious purposes, created to enhance and beautify the orthodox liturgy and worship space, as well as to serve in a royal or domestic context. discussions in this volume will consider both aspects of this artistic creation, across a wide swath of geography and a long span of time. the volume marries older, object-based considerations of themes and monuments which form the backbone of art history, to considerations drawing on many different methodologies-sociology, semiotics, anthropology, archaeology, reception theory, deconstruction theory, and so on-in an up-to-date synthesis of scholarship on byzantine art and architecture. the oxford handbook of byzantine art and architecture is a comprehensive overview of a particularly rich field of study, offering a window into the world of this fascinating and beautiful period of art.

This is the first comprehensive and up-to-date history of byzantium to appear in almost sixty years, and the first ever to cover both the byzantine state and byzantine society. it begins in a.d. 285, when the emperor diocletian separated what became byzantium from the western roman empire, and ends in 1461, when the last byzantine outposts fell to the ottoman turks. spanning twelve centuries and three continents, the byzantine empire linked the ancient and modern worlds, shaping and transmitting greek, roman, and christian traditions—including the greek classics, roman law, and christian theology—that remain vigorous today, not only in eastern europe and the middle east but throughout western civilization. though in its politics byzantium often resembled a third-world dictatorship, it has never yet been matched in maintaining a single state for so long, over a wide area inhabited by heterogeneous peoples. drawing on a wealth of original sources and modern works, the author treats political and social developments as a single vivid story, told partly in detailed narrative and partly in essays that clarify long-term changes. he avoids stereotypes and rejects such old and new historical orthodoxies as the persistent weakness of the byzantine economy and the pervasive importance of holy men in late antiquity. without neglecting underlying social, cultural, and economic trends, the author shows the often crucial impact of nearly a hundred byzantine emperors and empresses. what the emperor or empress did, or did not do, could rapidly confront ordinary byzantines with economic ruin, new religious doctrines, or conquest by a foreign power. much attention is paid to the complex life of the court and bureaucracy that has given us the adjective "byzantine." the major personalities include such famous names as constantine, justinian, theodora, and heraclius, along with lesser-known figures like constans ii, irene, basil ii the bulgar-slayer, and michael viii palaeologus. byzantine civilization emerges as durable, creative, and realistic, overcoming repeated setbacks to remain prosperous almost to the end. with 221 illustrations and 18 maps that complement the text, a history of the byzantine state and society should long remain the standard history of byzantium not just for students and scholars but for all readers.

This is the first comprehensive and up-to-date history of byzantium to appear in almost sixty years, and the first ever to cover both the byzantine state and byzantine society. it begins in a.d. 285, when the emperor diocletian separated what became byzantium from the western roman empire, and ends in 1461, when the last byzantine outposts fell to the ottoman turks. spanning twelve centuries and three continents, the byzantine empire linked the ancient and modern worlds, shaping and transmitting greek, roman, and christian traditions—including the greek classics, roman law, and christian theology—that remain vigorous today, not only in eastern europe and the middle east but throughout western civilization. though in its politics byzantium often resembled a third-world dictatorship, it has never yet been matched in maintaining a single state for so long, over a wide area inhabited by heterogeneous peoples. drawing on a wealth of original sources and modern works, the author treats political and social developments as a single vivid story, told partly in detailed narrative and partly in essays that clarify long-term changes. he avoids stereotypes and rejects such old and new historical orthodoxies as the persistent weakness of the byzantine economy and the pervasive importance of holy men in late antiquity. without neglecting underlying social, cultural, and economic trends, the author shows the often crucial impact of nearly a hundred byzantine emperors and empresses. what the emperor or empress did, or did not do, could rapidly confront ordinary byzantines with economic ruin, new religious doctrines, or conquest by a foreign power. much attention is paid to the complex life of the court and bureaucracy that has given us the adjective "byzantine." the major personalities include such famous names as constantine, justinian, theodora, and heraclius, along with lesser-known figures like constans ii, irene, basil ii the bulgar-slayer, and michael viii palaeologus. byzantine civilization emerges as durable, creative, and realistic, overcoming repeated setbacks to remain prosperous almost to the end. with 221 illustrations and 18 maps that complement the text, a history of the byzantine state and society should long remain the standard history of byzantium not just for students and scholars but for all readers.

"the period encompassed by this volume of translations opens with a major crisis over the status of the icon and its veneration. charles barber and david jenkins (i.1.1 in this volume) present three extensive texts related to this crisis, which began when leo of chalcedon objected to the imperial appropriation of materials bearing sacred images, such as the doors of the chalkoprateia church in constantinople. as his arguments against this act unfolded in the period from 1082- to 1095, leo developed a theory of the image that argued for a formal, as opposed to a material, presence of christ in his icons. given this presence of christ's character, leo argued that an icon should not be destroyed and that this portrayal deserved adoration. a full account of this argument is presented in leo's letter to his nephew nicholas of adrianoupolis. this letter, which perhaps dates to 1093 or 1094, shows how leo builds his case upon a reading of the ninth-century iconophile writings of theodore of stoudios and other authorities, which leo reads as offering support for a hypostatic presence in the image mediated by the visible character of the subject. a key response to leo of chalcedon's arguments is offered by eustratios of nicaea. his syllogistic demonstration builds upon the logical model of ninth-century iconophile thought to show that the icon only has a formal relation to the subject depicted in that object. it is a response that is notable for its precise accounts of the limits of depiction, which becomes the description of the outline, form, and dimension of the outward and sensible traits of the appearance of a person. this allows him to argue that the material and sensible icon cannot receive adoration: christ as god is adored; christ as god cannot be depicted; therefore, the depicted, as depicted, is not adored.

Both books in slightly worn condition with some markings on cover. externally pages edges show some markings and shelf wear. internally clean and bright. first of the widely celebrated and sumptuously illustrated series, this book reveals in intimate detail what life was really like in the ancient world. behind the vast panorama of the pagan roman empire, the reader discovers the intimate daily lives of citizens and slaves-from concepts of manhood and sexuality to marriage and the family, the roles of women, chastity and contraception, techniques of childbirth, homosexuality, religion, the meaning of virtue, and the separation of private and public spaces.the emergence of christianity in the west and the triumph of christian morality with its emphasis on abstinence, celibacy, and austerity is startlingly contrasted with the profane and undisciplined private life of the byzantine empire. using illuminating motifs, the authors weave a rich, colorful fabric ornamented with the results of new research and the broad interpretations that only masters of the subject can provide. the second volume of "a history of private life" contains much rich and colourful detail culled from a considerable variety of sources. this "secret epic" aims to construct a vivid picture of peasant and patrician life in different places in the 11th to the 15th centuries.

The subject of the emperor in the byzantine world may seem likely to be a well-studied topic but there is no book devoted to the emperor in general covering the span of the byzantine empire. of course there are studies on individual emperors, dynasties and aspects of the imperial office/role, but there remains no equivalent to fergus millar's the emperor in the roman world (from which the proposed volume takes inspiration for its title and scope). the oddity of a lack of a general study of the byzantine emperor is compounded by the fact that a series of books devoted to byzantine empresses was published in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. thus it is appropriate to turn the spotlight on the emperor. themes covered by the contributions include: questions of dynasty and imperial families; the imperial court and the emperor's men; imperial duties and the emperor as ruler; imperial literature (the emperor as subject and author); and the material emperor, including imperial images and spaces. the volume fills a need in the field and the market, and also brings new and cutting-edge approaches to the study of the byzantine emperor. although the volume cannot hope to be a comprehensive treatment of the emperor in the byzantine world it aims to cover a broad chronological and thematic span and to play a vital part in setting the agenda for future work. the subject of the byzantine emperor has also an obvious relevance for historians working on rulership in other cultures and periods.

In recent decades, the study of the eastern roman empire, also known as byzantium, has been revolutionized by new approaches and more sophisticated models for how its society and state operated. no longer looked upon as a pale facsimile of classical rome, byzantium is now considered a vigorous state of its own, inheritor of many of rome's features, and a vital node in the first truly globalized world, with far-flung connections to the carolingians, vikings, arabs, ethiopians, indians, and chinese. the new roman empire is the first full, single-author history of the eastern roman empire to appear in over a generation. covering political and military history as well as all the major changes in religion, society, demography, and economy, anthony kaldellis's volume is divided into ten chronological sections which begin with the foundation of constantinople in 324 ad and end with the fall of the empire to the ottoman turks in the fifteenth century. the book incorporates new findings, explains recent interpretive models, and presents well-known historical characters and events in a new light.

With clarity and logic, george ostrogorsky succinctly traces the intricate thousand-year course of the byzantine empire. while his emphasis is on political development, he gives extensive consideration to social, esthetic, economic, and ecclesiastical factors as well. he also illuminates the empire's links with classical antiquity, as well as its effect on contemporaneous and subsequent european and near eastern history. the author captures the full sweep, the grandeur, and the tragic course of byzantium's rise and fall, backed by the scholarship and authority of a lifetime devoted to its study. long recognized as the basic history of the byzantine empire, this masterful work incorporates the results of the vast expansion in byzantine research in recent years. this edition has been completely retranslated by professor joan hussey from the third german edition. the text and annotation have been expanded by over seventy pages, with more than double the number of illustrations, and additional reference tables and lists.

This revised edition of a classic study presents the history of the byzantine empire from the sixth to the fifteenth century, not merely in terms of political events, but also through the art, literature, and thought of byzantine society. it emphasizes the constant tension between continuity and change, between conservation of the traditions of the roman empire of augustus and trajan and the christian roman empire of constantine and his successors on the one hand, and on the other, the need to react positively to the loss of the latin-speaking west and the successive challenges offered by the arab conquest, the crusades, and the inexorable expansion of the ottoman empire.

This revised edition of a classic study presents the history of the byzantine empire from the sixth to the fifteenth century, not merely in terms of political events, but also through the art, literature, and thought of byzantine society. it emphasizes the constant tension between continuity and change, between conservation of the traditions of the roman empire of augustus and trajan and the christian roman empire of constantine and his successors on the one hand, and on the other, the need to react positively to the loss of the latin-speaking west and the successive challenges offered by the arab conquest, the crusades, and the inexorable expansion of the ottoman empire.