Empire to Commonwealth : Consequences of Monotheism in Late Antiquity

In this bold approach to late antiquity, Garth Fowden shows how, from the second-century peak of Rome's prosperity to the ninth-century onset of the Islamic Empire's decline, powerful beliefs in One God were used to justify and strengthen world empires. But tensions between orthodoxy and heresy that were inherent in monotheism broke the unitary empires of Byzantium and Baghdad into the looser, more pluralistic commonwealths of Eastern Christendom and Islam. With rare breadth of vision, Fowden traces this transition from empire to commonwealth, and in the process exposes the sources of major cultural contours that still play a determining role in Europe and southwest Asia. Introduction -- 1. The World's Two Eyes: Iran, Rome, And The Pursuit Of World Empire. The Geographical Focus ; Iran, The Greeks, And Polytheist Rome ; Sasanian Universalism -- 2. Polytheist Rome: Toward Cultural Universalism Within Empire. Seeds Of Polytheist Universalism ; Alexandria ; Rome ; The Third Century ; Julian And Helios-mithras ; Universalism And Rome's Identity -- 3. The Fertile Crescent: Cultural Universalism Between And Beyond Empires. The Sabians Of Harran ; Judaism ; Manichaeism ; Christianity -- 4. Constantine: Christian Empire And Crusade. Antecedents Of Christian Rome ; Constantine's Strategy ; Empire And Church ; Mission ; Iran -- 5. The First Byzantine Commonwealth: Interactions Of Political And Cultural Universalism. The Geographical Focus ; Iberia And Armenia ; Southern Arabia And Ethiopia ; Nubia ; The Arabs ; Christians Of Iran And Beyond ; The Politico-cultural Entity -- 6. Islam: World Empire, Then Commonwealth. The Building Of World Empire ; Empire And Religion ; The Islamic Commonwealth -- Epilogue. Garth Fowden. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 177-200) And Index. Frontmatter List of illustrations (page ix) Abbreviations (page xi) Notes on transliteration and references (page xiii) Preface (page xv) Acknowledgments (page xvii) Introduction (page 3) 1. The World's two eyes: Iran, Rome, and the pursuit of world empire (page 12) 2. Polytheist Rome: Toward cultural universalism within empire (page 37) 3. The Fertile Crescent: Cultural universalism between and beyond empires (page 61) 4. Constantine: Christian empire and crusade (page 80) 5. The First Byzantine Commonwealth: Interactions of political and cultural universalism (page 100) 6. Islam: World empire, then commonwealth (page 138) Epilogue (page 169) Bibliography (page 177) Index (page 201) This study explores how powerful beliefs in One God were used to justify and strengthen empires from 2nd-9th centuries AD, and how tensions between orthodoxy and heresy broke the unitary empires of Byzantium and Baghdad into the more pluralistic commonwealths of Christendom and Islam. Presents an approach to late antiquity that shows how, from the second-century peak of Rome's prosperity to the ninth-century onset of the Islamic Empire's decline, powerful beliefs in One God were used to justify and strengthen 'world empires'.