- 416 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
A captivating account of the legendary empire that made Western civilization possible Byzantium. The name evokes grandeur and exoticismāgold, 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 millenniumālong history, she identifies the fundamental questions about Byzantiumāwhat 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 historyāfrom 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 Europeāand the modern Western worldāpossible. 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.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication Page
- About the Cover
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Maps
- Introduction: A Different History of Byzantium
- I: Foundations of Byzantium
- II: The Transition from Ancient to Medieval
- III: Byzantium Becomes a Medieval State
- IV: Varieties of Byzantium
- Conclusion: The Greatness and Legacy of Byzantium
- Further Reading
- List of Emperors Named in the Text
- Chronology
- Maps
- Acknowledgements
- Index