The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire, c. 500 - 1492

Byzantium lasted a thousand years, ruled to the end by self-styled 'emperors of the Romans'. It underwent kaleidoscopic territorial and structural changes, yet recovered repeatedly from disaster: even after the near-impregnable Constantinople fell in 1204, variant forms of the empire reconstituted themselves. The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire tells the story, tracing political and military events, religious controversies and economic change. It offers clear, authoritative chapters on the main events and periods, with more detailed chapters on particular outlying regions, neighbouring powers or aspects of Byzantium. With aids such as a glossary, an alternative place-name table and references to English translations of sources, it will be valuable as an introduction. However, it also offers stimulating new approaches and important new findings, making it essential reading for postgraduates and for specialists. Contents 5 Maps 9 Illustrations 11 Tables 14 Dedication 16 Preface 17 Preface to the paperback edition 21 General Introduction 25 i Approaching Byzantium 26 ii Periodisation and the contents of this book 45 iii Other routes to Byzantium 77 iv Smoothing the way and short-cuts to Byzantium: texts in translation 100 Part I. The Earlier Empire, c. 500 - c. 700 121 1 Justinian and his legacy (500–600) 123 2 Eastern neighbours 154 2a Persia and the Sasanian monarchy (224–651) 154 2b Armenia (400–600) 180 2c The Arabs to the time of the Prophet 197 3 Western approaches (500–600) 220 4 Byzantium transforming (600–700) 245 Part II. The Middle Empire, c. 700 - 1204 273 5 State of emergency (700–850) 275 6 After iconoclasm (850–886) 316 7 Religious missions 329 8 Armenian neighbours (600–1045) 357 9 Confronting Islam: emperors versus caliphs (641–c. 850) 389 10 Western approaches (700–900) 419 11 Byzantine Italy (680–876) 457 12 The middle Byzantine economy (600–1204) 489 13 Equilibrium to expansion (886–1025) 517 14 Western approaches (900–1025) 561 15 Byzantium and southern Italy (876–1000) 584 16 Belle époque or crisis? (1025–1118) 607 17 The empire of the Komnenoi (1118–1204) 651 18 Balkan borderlands (1018–1204) 688 19 Raiders and neighbours: the Turks (1040–1304) 716 Part III. The Byzantine Lands in the Later Middle Ages, 1204 - 1492 753 20 After the Fourth Crusade 755 20a The Greek rump states and the recovery of Byzantium 755 20b The Latin empire of Constantinople and the Frankish states 783 21 Balkan powers: Albania, Serbia and Bulgaria (1200–1300) 803 22 The Palaiologoi and the world around them (1261–1400) 827 23 Latins in the Aegean and the Balkans (1300–1400) 858 24 The Roman orthodox world (1393–1492) 876 Glossary (including some proper names) 905 Genealogical tables and lists of rulers 930 List of alternative place names 954 Bibliography 960 Picture Acknowledgements 1143 Index 1148 Byzantium lasted a thousand years, ruled to the end by self-styled 'emperors of the Romans'. It underwent kaleidoscopic territorial and structural changes, yet recovered repeatedly from disaster: even after the near-impregnable Constantinople fell in 1204, variant forms of the empire reconstituted themselves. The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c.500-1492 tells the story, tracing political and military events, religious controversies and economic change. It offers clear, authoritative chapters on the main events and periods, with more detailed chapters on outlying regions and neighbouring societies and powers of Byzantium. With aids such as maps, a glossary, an alternative place-name table and references to English translations of sources, it will be valuable as an introduction. However, it also offers stimulating new approaches and important findings, making it essential reading for postgraduates and for specialists. The revised paperback edition contains a new preface by the editor and will offer an invaluable companion to survey courses in Byzantine history Byzantium lasted a thousand years, ruled to the end by self-styled 'emperors of the Romans'. It underwent kaleidoscopic territorial and structural changes, yet recovered repeatedly from disaster: even after the near-impregnable Constantinople fell in 1204, variant forms of the empire reconstituted themselves. This volume tells that story, tracing political and military events, religious controversies and economic change. It covers the main events and periods, with more detailed chapters on particular outlying regions, neighbouring powers or aspects of Byzantium