The dominant Mediterranean power in the fifth and sixth centuries, by the time of its demise at the hands of the Ottomans in 1453 the Byzantine empire was a shadow of its former self restricted essentially to the city of Constantinople, modern Istanbul. Surrounded by foes who posed a constant threat to its very existence, it survived because of its administration, army and the strength of its culture, of which Orthodox Christianity was a key element. This historical atlas charts key aspects of the political, social and economic history of a medieval empire which bridged the Christian and Islamic worlds from the late Roman period into the late Middle Ages.
The Palgrave Atlas of Byzantine History
Description
Table of Contents
Introduction PART I: THE EARLY PERIOD (c. 4th-7th Century) Historical Development: From Rome to Byzantium Cities, Provinces and Administration The Church PART II: THE MIDDLE PERIOD (c. 7th-11th Century) Historical Development: The Rise of the Medieval East Roman World Economy, Administration and Defence Church and Monastic Organisation The Empire in its International Context PART III: THE LATER PERIOD (c. 11th-15th Century) Apogee and Collapse: The Waning of East Rome Economy and Administration Frontiers and Neighbours Church and Monastery in the Later Byzantine World
Author Description
JOHN HALDON Lectures in Byzantine history at the Department of History, Princeton University, USA. His previous publications include Byzantium, a History (2000), Byzantium at War (2002), Warfare, State and Society in the Byzantine World (1999).