The Age of Justinian: The Circumstances of Imperial Power (Roman Imperial Biographies)

The Age Of Justinian (527-565) Marks The Transition Between Late Antiquity, When The Norms Of The Classical World Still Survived, And The Byzantine Period, Which Featured A Christian State That Left Little Or No Space For Outsiders. While Justinian Considered Himself The Restorer Of The Roman Empire, His Contemporaries Saw Him As An Innovator Who Consciously Willed Change. J.a.s. Evans Examines Not Only The History Of This Great Emperor, But Also The Environment In Which He Lived. The Age Of Justinian Looks At The Social Structure Of The Empire, And The Neighbours That Surrounded It. It Also Chronicles The Theological Issues, Which Split The Empire And Left Even Deeper Divisions After Justinian's Death, In Spite Of His Best Efforts To Settle Them. At The End, Justinian Found Himself Facing Forces Which Were Too Strong Even For A Man With His Determination. But, For All That, We Are Left With A Sense Of Admiration For The Great Emperor And His Wife, Theodora. Their Aims Were High And They Presided Over A Period Of Brilliance. They Belonged To A Unique Moment Of History, And In The Problems They Encountered And The Forces They Faced, We Can Dimly Recognize Some That Are With Us To The Present Day. Map Of Constantinople -- Map Of The Roman Empire -- 1. The Imperial Environment. The Empire Which Anastasius Left Behind. The Construction Of A New Capital. The New Rome On The Bosporus. The People Of The Empire. The Imperial Office And Its Ideology. Christianity And Its Discontents. The Neighbours Of The Empire -- 2. The New Dynasts: Their Early Years Of Power. The Accession Of The New Dynasty. Monophysite Persecution. The Himyarite Affair. Renewed War With Persia. The Nika Revolt -- 3. The Restoration Of The Empire: The Wars Of Justinian. The Recovery Of Africa. The Invasion Of Italy. New Battle Fronts: Revolt In Africa, Fresh War In Italy And The Persian Offensive. 542: The Plague Year. Consolidating The Conquests: The Search For Peace -- 4. The Home Front: Domestic Problems. Theological Imbroglio. The Administration Of The Empire. Social And Economic Developments. Commerce. The 'outsiders': Jews, Samaritans, Pagans, Heretics -- 5. The Final Years. The Last Decade. The Aftermath. Conclusion And Assessment. J.a.s. Evans. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 308-330) And Index. Annotation. The Age of Justinian examines the reign of the great emperor Justinian (527-565) and his wife Theodora, who advanced from the theatre to the throne. The origins of the irrevocable split between East and West, between the Byzantine and the Persian Empire are chronicled, which continue up to the present day. The book looks at the social structure of sixth century Byzantium, and the neighbours that surrounded the empire. It also deals with Justinian's wars, which restored Italy, Africa and a part of Spain to the empire Evans (classics, U. of British Columbia) examines the history of the great emperor, whose reign marks the transition between Late Antiquity and the Byzantine period, including what is presently known about his life, the social structure of the empire, its relations with its neighbors, and naturally, its wars. It also examines theological issues, which split the empire and left deep divisions after Justinian's death. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR The Age of Justinian examines the reign of the great emperor Justinian (527-565) and his wife Theodora, who advanced from the theatre to the throne. It also deals with Justinian's wars, and the land which was restored to the empire. A readable and absorbing account of the great Emperor Justinian detailing the social structure of sixth-century Byzantium and Justinian's wars which restored Italy, Africa and part of Spain to the Empire. During the night of 9 or 10 July, 518, the emperor Anastasius died in Constantinople.