The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 14: Late Antiquity: Empire and Successors, A.D. 425-600

With Volume 14 The Cambridge Ancient History concludes its story. This latest volume embraces the wide range of approaches and scholarship which have in recent decades transformed our view of Late Antiquity. In particular, traditional political and social history has been enormously enhanced by integrating the rich evidence of Christian writing, and the constantly expanding results of archaeological research. A picture emerges of a period of considerable military and political disruption, but also of vibrant intellectual and cultural activity. The volume begins with a series of narrative chapters. These are followed by sections on government and institutions, economy and society, and religion and culture. A section on the provinces and the non-Roman world marks the rise of new and distinct political and cultural entities. This volume, and the CAH, ends in around AD 600, before the Arab conquests shattered for ever what remained of the unity of the Roman world. Cover Title Copyright Contents List of maps List of text-figures Preface PART I CHRONOLOGICAL OVERVIEW CHAPTER 1 The western empire, 425–76 I. The era of Aetius, 425–54 1. The struggle for power 425–33 2. Years of hope 434–9 3. The loss of Africa and after, 439–49 4. Attila and after, 449–54 II. The fall of the western empire 1. A new political order: Petronius Maximus, Avitus, and after, 455–7 2. Attempts at equilibrium, 457–68 3. The end of empire, 468–76 4. Romans and barbarians III. Conclusion CHAPTER 2 The eastern empire: Theodosius to Anastasius I. Theodosius II 1. Political life 2. Religious affairs 3. Foreign relations II. The successors of Theodosius 1. Marcian 2. Leo 3. Zeno III. Anastasius 1. Politics and administration 2. Religious affairs 3. Foreign relations 4. Epilogue CHAPTER 3 Justin I and Justinian I. Justin I (518–27) II. Justinian’s early years (527–32) III. St Sophia, the ‘reconquest’ and the middle years (c. 532–54) IV. Religious policy: the Three Chapters and the Fifth Oecumenical Council V. The last decade (c. 554–65) CHAPTER 4 The successors of Justinian I. Justin II 1. Imperial succession 2. Internal affairs 3. External affairs II. Tiberius 1. Succession 2. The Persian war 3. The west and the Balkans 4. Internal affairs III. Maurice 1. Internal affairs 2. Eastern warfare 3. The west and the Balkans IV. Conclusion CHAPTER 5 The western kingdoms I. Gaul: Visigothic kingdom, 418–507 II. The Burgundian kingdom, 412–534 III. Frankish Gaul, 481–596 IV. Spain: the Suevic kingdoms, 425–584 V. Visigothic Spain, 456–601 VI. Vandal Africa, 429–533 VII. Ostrogothic Italy, 493–535 VIII. Italy: the Lombards, 568–90 IX. The British Isles: Anglo-Saxon, Irish and Pictish kingdoms, 410–597 PART II GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONS CHAPTER 6 Emperor and court I. The physical context of power II. The emperor III. The court: the human element IV. Court and ceremony V. Court and culture CHAPTER 7 Government and administration I. Sources II. The structures of government III. Administration in operation IV. Administrative change V. Court and culture CHAPTER 8 Administration and politics in the cities of the fifth to the mid seventh century: 425–640 I. East and west: common trends II. The cities of the east 1. Cities of the Greek east: pattern I 2. The Greek east: pattern II 3. Greater prominence of villages and the ascetic movement 4. The rise of the bishop 5. Government by notables 6. The internal administration of cities 7. The factions and the games III. Administration and politics in the west IV. Conclusion CHAPTER 9 Roman law I. Introduction: law in the late Roman empire II. The jurisdiction III. Sources of law and law making IV. Codification V. Law schools VI. Legal literature VII. Continuity, vulgarization, classicism CHAPTER 10 Law in the western kingdoms between the fifth and the seventh century I. Law and ethnic identity II. Edicts and judgements III. Lawbooks and codes IV. The evolution of Frankish written law V. From north-west Europe to the Mediterranean VI. Barbarian and Roman law VII. Burgundian and Gothic law CHAPTER 11 The army, c. 420–602 I. Troops: categories, conditions of service, numbers II. Navies III. Western collapse IV. The eastern army: men and resources V. Eastern survival PART III EAST AND WEST: ECONOMYAND SOCIETY CHAPTER 12 Land, labour and settlement I. The issues and the evidence II. Population; the spread of settlement; demographic decline? III. Rural settlement (villages, farmsteads and villas) IV. Rural fortifications V. The pattern of land ownership; the status of peasants CHAPTER 13 Specialized production and exchange I. Difficulties and evidence II. The general picture Britain The Near East and Egypt Italy Africa The Aegean world III. The extent of the change IV. Beyond the frontiers of the empire V. Regional and local variation VI. ‘Prosperity’ and ‘sophistication’ VII. The distribution of goods and wealth within the late antique economy: the role of overseas commerce VIII. State and aristocratic distribution; the effects of taxation on the economy IX. Causes of economic decline: a general consideration X. War, disruption and economic decline XI. Climate, the environment and the economy XII. Population change and economic change XIII. Economic decline: some conclusions CHAPTER 14 The family in the late Roman world I. Christianity and laws on the family II. Law and society III. Negations of the family IV. West and east CHAPTER 15 Family and friendship in the west CHAPTER 16 State, lordship and community in the west (c. A.D. 400–600) I. The community of the realm 1. Imperial heritage 2. Transformations in political economy (a) The militarization of landowning élites (b) The decline of taxation (c) The limitations of bureaucracy 3. Court and community in the post-Roman west (a) Religion (b) Law 4. Involvement, identity and ethnicity II. Peers and lords: local communities 1. The end of the civitas? 2. Local lordship and its limitations (a) Freemen and nobles (b) Freedmen (c) Slaves, serfs and estates CHAPTER 17 Armies and society in the later Roman world I. Military power and authority II. The maintenance of order III. Local and central IV. Soldier and civilian PART IV THE PROVINCES AND THE NON-ROMAN WORLD CHAPTER 18 The north-western provinces CHAPTER 19 Italy, A.D. 425–605 I. Italian interests and the end of the western empire (425–76) II. Odoacer and Theoderic (476–526) III. The end of the Ostrogothic kingdom (526–68) IV. Forging the Lombard kingdom (568–605) V. Italy transformed: the ruling élite VI. The church and the papacy VII. Settlement and society VIII. Italian identities in late antiquity IX. Conclusion CHAPTER 20 Vandal and Byzantine Africa I. The Vandal conquest and Vandal rule (A.D. 429–534) II. The Byzantine conquest and Byzantine rule CHAPTER 21a Asia Minor and Cyprus I. Sources II. The political geography III. The historical framework IV. The cities V. City and countryside VI. The end of the civic era CHAPTER 21b Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia CHAPTER 21c Egypt CHAPTER 22a The Sasanid monarchy I. Romans and Sasanids II. Royal legitimation III. Sasanid kings and the Zoroastrian priests IV. Kings and nobles V. Taxation and military organization VI. Mecca, Muh·ammad and the rise of Islam CHAPTER 22b Armenia in the fifth and sixth century CHAPTER 22c The Arabs I. Introduction: the question of sources II. The Arabs in late antiquity III. Arabian religious traditions IV. Economic life in Arabia V. Imperium and imperial politics VI. Mecca, Muh·ammad and the rise of Islam CHAPTER 23 The Balkans and Greece, 420–602 I. Introduction II. The Huns III. From the Huns to the Avars IV. From Roman to post-Roman PART V RELIGION AND CULTURE CHAPTER 24 The organization of the church I. Bishops and patriarchs II. Councils and clergy III. Finance IV. Teaching CHAPTER 25 Monasticism CHAPTER 26 Holy Men CHAPTER 27 The definition and enforcement of orthodoxy I. The Councils of Ephesus I and II II. The Council of Chalcedon III. Aftermath of Chalcedon IV. Zeno and Basiliscus V. Anastasius I VI. Justin I and Justinian VII. Justinian’s successors CHAPTER 28 Philosophy and philosophical schools I. Introduction II. Philosophy in Athens III. Philosophy in Alexandria IV. Philosophy elsewhere in the empire CHAPTER 29 Education in the Roman empire NON-LITERARY EDUCATION CHAPTER 30 The visual arts I. Artistic evidence and its interpretation II. Church and art in the fifth century III. ‘The age of Justinian’ IV. Church, monks and art at the end of the sixth century CHAPTER 31 Building and architecture I. Introduction II. Secular architecture 1. Civic and administrative architecture (a) Fora, porticoed streets, nymphaea (b) Administrative buildings 2. Amenities: baths and places of entertainment (a) Baths (b) Places of entertainment 3. Communal accommodation: barracks, inns, hospitals, monasteries (a) Barracks (b) Inns (c) Hospitals and orphanotrophia (d) Monasteries 4. Palaces, houses and tombs (a) Palaces and houses Palaces Villas Village houses (b) Tombs III. Religious architecture 1. Churches (a) The longitudinal church: the basilica and the hall church (b) The centralized church (c) Bemas and other liturgical furniture (d) Annexes: martyrial chapels and baptisteries 2. Synagogues IV. Conclusion Conclusion Chronological table BIBLIOGRAPHY Abbreviations Frequently cited works Part I: Chronological overview (chapters 1–5) Part II: Government and institutions (chapters 6–11) Part III: East and west: economy and society (chapters 12–17) Part IV: The provinces and the non-Roman world (chapters 18–23) CH. 18: THE NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCES CH. 19: ITALY, A.D. 425-605 CH. 20: VANDAL AND BYZANTINE AFRICA CH. 21a: ASIA MINOR AND CYPRUS CH. 21b: SYRIA, PALESTINE AND MESOPOTAMIA CH. 21c: EGYPT CH. 22a: THE SASANID MONARCHY CH. 22b: ARMENIA IN THE FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURY CH. 22c: THE ARABS Secondary Sources CH. 23: THE BALKANS AND GREECE, 4202602 Part V: Religion and culture (chapters 24–31) Conclusion v. 1, pt. 1. Prolegomena and prehistory, edited by I.E.S. Edwards, C.J. Gadd, and N.G.L. Hammond. v. 1, pt. 2. Early history of the Middle East, edited by I.E.S. Edwards, C.J. Gadd and N.G L. Hammond. v. 2, pt. 1. History of the Middle East and the Aegean Region c. 1800-1380 B.C. / edited by I.E.S. Edwards ... [et al.] v. 2, pt. 2. History of the Middle East and the Aegean region, c. 1380-1000 B.C., edited by I.E.S. Edwards ... [et al.]. v. 3, pt. 1. The prehistory of the Balkans; and the Middle East and the Aegean World, tenth to eighth centuries B.C., edited by John Boardman ... [et al.]. 2d ed. v. 3, pt. 2. The Assyrian and Babylonian empires and other states of the Near East, from the eighth to the sixth centuries, B.C. 2nd ed. v. 3, pt. 3. The expansion of the Greek World, eighth to sixth centuries B.C., edited by John Boardman, N.G.L. Hammond. 2d ed. v. 4. Persia, Greece, and the western Mediterranean, c. 525 to 479 B.C., edited by John Boardman ... [et al.]. 2nd ed. v. 5. The fifth century B.C., edited by D.M. Lewis ... [et al.]. 2nd ed. v. 6. The fourth century B.C., edited by D.M. Lewis ... [et al.]. 2nd ed. v. 7, pt. 1. The Hellenistic world, edited by F.W. Walbank ... [et al.]. 2nd ed. v. 7, pt. 2. The rise of Rome to 220 B.C., edited by F.W. Walbank ... [et al.]. 2nd ed. v. 8. Rome and the Mediterranean to 133 B.C., edited by A.E. Astin ... [et al.]. 2nd ed. v. 9. The last age of the Roman Republic, 146-43 B.C. 2nd ed. v. 10. The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C.-A.D. 69 v. 11. The High Empire, A.D. 70-192 / edited by Alan K. Bowman, Peter Garnsey, Dominic Rathbone v. 13. The Late Empire, A.D. 337-425 v. 14. Late antiquity : Empire and successors, A.D. 425-600 / edited by Averil Cameron, Bryan Ward-Perkins, Michael Whitby. Over the past half century The Cambridge Ancient History has established itself as a definitive work of reference. The original edition was published in twelve text volumes between 1924 and 1939. Publication of the new edition began in 1970. Every volume of the old edition has been totally re-thought and re-written with new text, maps, illustrations and bibliographies. Some volumes have had to be expanded into two or more parts and the series has been extended by two extra volumes (XIII and XIV) to cover events up to AD 600, bringing the total number of volumes in the set to fourteen. Existing plates to the volumes are available separately. *Profusely illustrated with maps, drawings and tables. *Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the history of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East from prehistoric times to AD 600 by an international cast of editors and contributors Volume 11 of the second edition of The Cambridge Ancient History covers the history of the Roman empire from AD 70 to 192 -- Vespasian to the Antonines. The volume begins with the political and military history of the period. Developments in the structure of the empire are then examined, including the organization and personnel of the central government and province-based institutions and practices. A series of provincial studies follows, and the society, economy and culture of the empire as a whole are reviewed in a group of thematic chapters.