The Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity (Oxford Handbooks)

"The Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity offers an innovative overview of a period (c. 300-700 CE) that has become increasingly central to scholarly debates over the history of western and Middle Eastern civilizations. This volume covers such pivotal events as the fall of Rome, the rise of Christianity, the origins of Islam, and the early formation of Byzantium and the European Middle Ages. These events are set in the context of widespread literary, artistic, cultural, and religious change during the period. The geographical scope of this Handbook is unparalleled among comparable surveys of Late Antiquity; Arabia, Egypt, Central Asia, and the Balkans all receive dedicated treatments, while the scope extends to the western kingdoms, and North Africa in the West. Furthermore, from economic theory and slavery to Greek and Latin poetry, Syriac and Coptic literature, sites of religious devotion, and many others, this Handbook covers a wide range of topics that will appeal to scholars from a diverse array of disciplines. The Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity engages the perennially valuable questions about the end of the ancient world and the beginning of the medieval, while providing a much-needed touchstone for the study of Late Antiquity itself"--Back cover Acknowledgments List of Contributors List of Illustrations Preface Scott F. Johnson, Georgetown University and Dumbarton Oaks Introduction: Late Antique Conceptions of Late Antiquity Herve Inglebert, Universite Paris Ouest Nanterre-La Defense (Paris X) Part I. Geographies and Peoples 1. The Western Kingdoms Michael Kulikowski, Pennsylvania State University 2. Barbarians: Problems and Approaches Michael Maas, Rice University 3. The Balkans Craig H. Caldwell III, University of Georgia 4. Armenia Tim Greenwood, St Andrews University 5. Central Asia and the Silk Road Etienne de la Vaissiere, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris 6. Syriac and the "Syrians" Philip Wood, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University 7. Egypt Arietta Papaconstantinou, Universite Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne 8. The Coptic Tradition Anne Boud'hors, Centre national de la scientifique (CNRS) 9. Ethiopia and Arabia Christian Julien Robin, College de France Part II. Literary and Philosophical Cultures 10. Latin Poetry Scott McGill, Rice University 11. Greek Poetry Gianfranco Agosti, Universita degli Studi di Udine 12. Historiography Brian Croke, Macquarie University and University of Sydney 13. Hellenism and its Discontents Aaron Johnson, Lee University 14. Education: Speaking, Thinking, and Socializing Edward Watts, Indiana University 15. Monasticism and the Philosophical Heritage Samuel Rubenson, Lunds Universitet 16. Physics and Metaphysics Gregory Smith, Central Michigan University 17. Travel, Cartography, and Cosmology Scott Fitzgerald Johnson, Georgetown University and Dumbarton Oaks III. Law, State, and Social Structures 18. Economic Trajectories Jairus Banaji, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) 19. Agriculture and Other "Rural Matters" Cam Grey, University of Pennsylvania 20. Marriage and Family Kyle Harper, University of Oklahoma 21. Health, Disease, and Hospitals: The Case of the "Sacred House" Peregrine Horden, Royal Holloway, University of London 22. Concepts of Citizenship Ralph Mathisen, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 23. Justice and Equality Kevin Uhalde, Ohio University 24. Roman Law and Legal Culture Jill Harries, St Andrews University 25. Communication: Use and Reuse Andrew Gillett, Macquarie University Part IV. Religions and Religious Identity 26. Paganism and Christianization Jaclyn Maxwell, Ohio University 27. Episcopal Leadership David M. Gwynn, Royal Holloway, University of London 28. Theological Argumentation: The Case of Forgery Susan Wessel, Catholic University of America 29. Sacred Space and Visual Art Ann Marie Yasin, University of Southern California 30. Object Relations: Theorizing the Late Antique Viewer Glenn Peers, University of Texas at Austin 31. From Nisibis to Xi'an: The Church of the East across Sasanian Persia Joel Walker, University of Washington 32. Early Islam as a Late Antique Religion Robert Hoyland, Oriental Institute, Oxford University 33. Muhammad and the Qur'an Stephen J. Shoemaker, University of Oregon Part V. Late Antiquity in Perspective 34. Comparative State Formation: The Later Roman Empire in the Wider World John Haldon, Princeton University 35. Late Antiquity in Byzantium Petre Guran, Institute of South East European Studies, Bucharest 36. Late Antiquity and the Italian Renaissance Christopher Celenza, Johns Hopkins University The Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity is a wide-ranging collection of essays that engages with valuable questions about the end of the ancient world and the beginning of the medieval.