Product Description

This book is a concise narrative of Byzantine history from the time of Constantine the Great (AD 306) to the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

• Argues that Byzantium was important in its own right but also served as a bridge between East and West and ancient and modern society.
  
• Uses the chronological political history of the empire as a narrative frame.
  
• Considers social and economic life and the rich culture of the Byzantine Empire.
  
• Integrates visual documents, such as photographs of art, architecture, and implements from daily life.
  
• Makes the latest scholarship accessible to a wide audience.
  
• Includes a chronological list of emperors, a glossary and maps.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #421226 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

From the Back Cover
This book is a concise narrative of Byzantine history from the time of Constantine the Great in AD 306 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The author presents Byzantium as a vital society, important in its own right, but also one that served as a bridge between East and West, and ancient and modern society.

A History of Byzantium uses the chronological political history of the empire as a narrative frame, but balances politics with a consideration of social and economic life and the rich culture of Byzantium. Visual documents, such as photographs of art, architecture, and implements from daily life, are used alongside the text to raise questions about life in the Byzantine Empire. The book is based on the latest scholarship and discusses the major historiographical questions for each period. At the same time, it is written in clear, narrative prose, making this fascinating period accessible to a wide readership.

About the Author
Timothy E. Gregory is Professor of Byzantine History at Ohio State University where he is also Adjunct Professor of Anthropology. He is the author of Isthmia (1993), The Corinthia in the Roman Period (1993), and Vox Populi (1979) and editor of the textbook Exploring the European Past: Texts and Images (2002), among other publications. He also has considerable experience in online teaching. He has served on the editorial board of journals such as Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies and the American Journal of Archaeology. He has extensive archaeological fieldwork experience in Greece and Cyprus and is the director of the Ohio State University Excavations at Isthmia.

Customer Reviews

An examplary history of Byzantium
This book will serve to show to the wider public what a high level Byzantine Studies have finally reached. They have gone a long way from Gibbon's polemics (informed more by prejudice than facts and sound analysis) to become the highly sophisticated and interesting subject Timothy Gregory showcases in this book.

The book covers the period from 306 to 1453. It is interesting to note that Gregory sets the formal beginning of the Byzantine period at 306 rather than any of the more usual later dates. This allows for a better examination of the context within which Byzantium developed. On the other hand, Early Byzantine Period is here defined to be the period between 306-717, which is longer than that considered by other historians who often divide it into shorter periods. This is not just a technical point. It has to do with the controversial issue of the way the character of the Empire gradualy evolved (antique, Christian, "Byzantine" etc.). Allowing such a long time span for the Early Period acknowledges the complex nature of this evolution.

The first turning point in the history of Byzantium, namely the migrations of the 7th-8th centuries, is treated in an examplary fashion in the book, once again showing the maturity the subject has reached. Frequently exploited for political reasons in the Modern Era by an amazing variety of agents (including even the Communists during the Cold War!), this matter has been until recently presented in the most sensational and emotional way. Gregory though gives a dispassionate and rational account with more emphasis on cultural rather than less relevant ethnic issues. The conclusions of his approach will no doubt disappoint those who expect evidence of apocalyptic events and discontinuities which simply is not there.

The second turning point (the sack of Constantinople in 1204) is also presented in a rational and impartial manner. Without being unduly apologetic on behalf of the West, the book examines the serious consequences this event has had for the future of the Empire, including the acceleration of the tendencies towards its transformation into something like a Greek "nation-state".

I warmly recommend this book to everyone interested in Byzantium, Rome or simply European History!

Interesting but could be deeper
I was curious to know something more about the Byzantine empire, after the fall of the Rome. The book is easy reading and very factual, there are some interesting comments on religion and its influence on civil society. I think that the author could have gone deeper into the history of the city and the interaction with the eastern and western world.