Download or read book Serving Byzantium s Emperors written by Dimitris Krallis and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-01-31 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a microhistory of eleventh-century Byzantium, built around the biography of the state official Michael Attaleiates. Dimitris Krallis presents Byzantium as a cohesive, ever-evolving, dynamic, Roman political community, built on traditions of Roman governance and Hellenic culture. In the eleventh century, Byzantium faced a crisis as it navigated a shifting international environment of feudal polities, merchant republics, steppe migrations, and a rapidly transforming Islamic world. Attaleiates’ life, from provincial birth to Constantinopolitan death, and career, as a member of an ancient empire’s officialdom, raise questions of identity, family, education, governance, elite culture, Romanness, Hellenism, science and skepticism, as well as political ideology during this period. The life and work of Attaleiates is used as a prism through which to examine important questions about a long-lived medieval polity that is usually studied as exotic and distinct from both the European and the Near Eastern historical experience.
Download or read book The Emperors of Byzantium written by Kevin Lygo and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 2022-06-07 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A vivid narrative history of one of the founding civilizations of the modern world, the Byzantine empire, evocatively told through the lives of its ninety-two emperors. The Byzantine empire was one of the most successful states of the Middle Ages, ruling over a huge terrain straddling Europe and western Asia for eleven hundred years from the fourth to fifteenth centuries. This chronicle by Byzantine expert Kevin Lygo brings this majestic yet turbulent period to life through the lives of its emperors: the supreme military commander, the head of state, and God’s representative on Earth, no less. These rulers, who included famous figures such as Constantine the Great and Justinian I, a scattering of women, as well as ruthless usurpers, left their mark upon the modern world with the establishment of the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith, the creation of a visual template for Christian art, and the magnificent artistic achievements of Hagia Sophia and Mount Athos. Each illustrated biographical entry contributes to the story of how Byzantium shaped art, culture, religious beliefs, and justice systems, as well as the role this extraordinary empire played in halting repeated invasions, allowing the idea of “Europe” to flourish. Through this compelling history, Lygo paints vivid portraits of the entire Byzantine cast, with tales of petty revenge, religious devotion, sexual intrigue, and artistic brilliance. From soaring intellectuals to illiterate peasants, eunuchs, and despots, this is a humanizing portrayal of the individuals whose rule profoundly impacted the lives of millions.
Download or read book The Byzantine Republic written by Anthony Kaldellis and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2015-02-02 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although Byzantium is known to history as the Eastern Roman Empire, scholars have long claimed that this Greek Christian theocracy bore little resemblance to Rome. Here, in a revolutionary model of Byzantine politics and society, Anthony Kaldellis reconnects Byzantium to its Roman roots, arguing that from the fifth to the twelfth centuries CE the Eastern Roman Empire was essentially a republic, with power exercised on behalf of the people and sometimes by them too. The Byzantine Republic recovers for the historical record a less autocratic, more populist Byzantium whose Greek-speaking citizens considered themselves as fully Roman as their Latin-speaking “ancestors.” Kaldellis shows that the idea of Byzantium as a rigid imperial theocracy is a misleading construct of Western historians since the Enlightenment. With court proclamations often draped in Christian rhetoric, the notion of divine kingship emerged as a way to disguise the inherent vulnerability of each regime. The legitimacy of the emperors was not predicated on an absolute right to the throne but on the popularity of individual emperors, whose grip on power was tenuous despite the stability of the imperial institution itself. Kaldellis examines the overlooked Byzantine concept of the polity, along with the complex relationship of emperors to the law and the ways they bolstered their popular acceptance and avoided challenges. The rebellions that periodically rocked the empire were not aberrations, he shows, but an essential part of the functioning of the republican monarchy.
Download or read book The Byzantine Empire written by Captivating History and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-04 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you want to discover captivating stories of people and events of the Byzantine Empire then keep reading... The Byzantine Empire was founded during the chaotic third century. It was the time when revolts and civil wars were common, and Roman emperors merely lasted for a year. Despite being one of the most captivating historical periods of all time, the Byzantine Empire is a lesser known one and it's rare to find a page-turning resource on the topic. But that is about to change. In this new captivating history book, you will... explore a story of power and glory, anarchy and order, paganism and Christianity, war and peace, the West and the East get familiar with the roots of the greatest controversies that defined the history of Europe and the entirety of Western civilization - the conflict between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, and the one between Christianity and Islam discover stories of remarkable emperors you've never heard of and about the astonishing bravery of Graeco-Roman heroes such as Constantine Dragases, who resisted the Ottomans until the end, and Belisarius, who fought the Persians to reconquer what used to be the Western Empire learn more about the entire era called the Byzantine Empire in less time compared to reading boring textbooks All this and much more awaits you, so get instant access now by clicking the "Add to Cart" button!
Download or read book Justinian the Great written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by . This book was released on 2017-01-26 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Explains Justinian's foreign policy, domestic policy, the building of the Hagia Sophia, and more *Includes a bibliography for further reading The zenith of the Byzantine Empire was reached in the middle of the 6th century during the reign of the Emperor Justinian (527-565). The internal stabilization of the Byzantine state was completed, and Justinian then embarked on a wide range of external re-conquests. Justinian's prime directive was to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory in the west. He sought to strengthen the immutable law that Byzantium, the successor of Rome, maintained not only in the east but also the west, and by doing so, he hoped to revive the unity of the Roman world. In addition to attempting to conquer Italy and restore all the old dominions of the Roman Empire, Justinian also had to quell inner unrest by fighting barbarian usurpers, securing the borders, re-establishing religious orthodoxy, reorganizing the law, and reviving prosperity. Accounts describe him as a stocky and ugly man, but he was deeply conscious of the prerogatives and duties of his position as a person exalted and close to God, and he was self-controlled in his personal life. From an administrative standpoint, he was an adroit diplomat and organizer who was gifted when it came to choosing collaborators and streamlining the administration of his empire. He was also married to Theodora, a woman of extraordinary beauty, courage, and intellect. Justinian was profoundly religious, which ensured that he spent considerable time attempting to reestablish orthodoxy and guide the church into the future. Justinian even ensured religious uniformity as this was the same as domestic law. There was no real separation between the legal order and canon law. At the same time, however, Justinian was a short-sighted emperor who was unable to come to grips with the fact that it was impossible to solve religious conflicts through wavering political compromises. He was also unable to stem the decline in the Byzantine economy and unwilling to form long-term plans for the future that would secure the northern and eastern borders of the empire against the Persians and Slavs. Naturally, since he remained so focused on the present, Justinian also engaged in grandiose propaganda schemes to promote his own glory, such as easy conquests, trading in luxury goods with far-away countries (including China, India, and Abyssinia), a well-planned publicity campaign carried out by his court historian Procopius and his court poet Paul the Silentiary, and a grandiose building campaign in the capital of Constantinople, which included the Hagia Sophia. Ironically, Justinian's foreign policy is what he is best remembered for, despite the fact it was ultimately unsuccessful. Though he inevitably fell short of at least some of his aims, Justinian did make the Byzantine Empire a more efficient empire in many ways. The Nika revolt in 532 that precipitated the building of Hagia Sophia and the undertaking of Justinian's building campaign was the last major populist insurrection against autocratic rule, and the Marcellinus Conspiracy in 556 was the last of the aristocratic uprisings in the Empire. Justinian succeeded in setting up a nearly bribe-proof civil service, his bureaucrats created a well-disciplined army, and he also succeeded in giving the empire a uniform code of law. That code of law, the corpus juris civilis, or "body of civil law," remains the foundation of the legal system in many modern European countries. Justinian the Great chronicles the life and legacy of the Byzantine Empire's most important leader. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about Justinian like never before, in no time at all.
Download or read book Genesios on the Reigns of the Emperors written by Kaldellis Anthony and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2017-11-06 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Preliminary Material /Anthony Kaldellis -- Introduction /Anthony Kaldellis -- Genesios, On the Reigns of the Emperors (813-886) /Anthony Kaldellis -- Translator's Note: Theophobos and Manuel /Anthony Kaldellis -- Patriarchs of Constantinople, 784-893 /Anthony Kaldellis -- Maps /Anthony Kaldellis -- Glossary of Terms, Places, and Peoples /Anthony Kaldellis -- Bibliography /Anthony Kaldellis -- Index /Anthony Kaldellis.
Download or read book The Byzantine Empire written by Captivating History and published by . This book was released on 2020-01-21 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Byzantine Empire was founded during the chaotic third century. It was the time when revolts and civil wars were common, and Roman emperors merely lasted for a year. Despite being one of the most captivating historical periods of all time, the Byzantine Empire is a lesser known one and it's rare to find a page-turning resource on the topic.
Download or read book The Emperors of Byzantium written by Kevin Lygo and published by . This book was released on 2024-07-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compelling and vivid narrative history of one of the founding civilizations of the modern world, the Byzantine empire, evocatively told through the lives of its 92 emperors.Based in the great city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), the Byzantine empire was one of the most successful states of the Middle Ages. The continuation of the Roman empire, it ruled over a vast terrain straddling Europe and western Asia from the fourth to fifteenth centuries. Yet its history remains largely unfamiliar.This chronicle by Byzantine expert Kevin Lygo brings this majestic and turbulent period to life through the lives of its emperors: a role that encompassed being head of state, supreme military commander, and God's representative on earth. These rulers, who include well-known figures like Constantine the Great and Justinian I, and a number of extraordinary women such as Irene of Athens and Zoe Porphyrogennete, combined both ruthless usurpers as well as soaring intellectuals. But they all left their mark upon the modern world with the establishment of the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith, the creation of a visual template for Christian art, and magnificent monuments that include the cathedral of Hagia Sophia, the mosaics of Ravenna and the architectural wonder that is Mount Athos.Throughout, Lygo paints vivid portraits of the entire Byzantine cast, with tales of political survival, religious devotion, sexual intrigue and artistic brilliance. This is a humanizing portrayal of more than ninety individuals whose rule profoundly impacted the lives of millions.
Download or read book The Crusades Christianity and Islam written by Jonathan Riley-Smith and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Claiming that many in the West lack a thorough understanding of crusading, Jonathan Riley-Smith explains why and where the Crusades were fought, identifies their architects, and shows how deeply their language and imagery were embedded in popular Catholic thought and devotional life.
Download or read book The Immortal Emperor written by Donald M. Nicol and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-05-09 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first biography of the last Byzantine Emperor.
Download or read book Basileus written by Weston Barnes and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2019-02-25 with total page 698 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book on emperors of Byzantine Empire in Christian Greek dominion that ruled Late Antique and Medieval East Europe from 330 to 1453 CE as the inherited Roman state that fell in Western Rome in 476 CE. From the golden, renowned Queen of Cities, Constantinople, city of Constantine, holy men, travelers, pilgrims, merchants, ambassadors, and many other people from all walks of life filled its streets. Finally, there was the emperor, the master of this city, and an empire once stretching from the Black Sea to Spain until its fall to the powerful Turks in the fifteenth century. In a line of Basilioi, triumph, tragedy, trust, and betrayal were lifelong dramas for the men and women in the purple sitting on the palace throne.
Download or read book Rulers of the Byzantine Empire written by Kibea and published by . This book was released on 2005-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book presents the millennium-long history of Byzantium as reflected in the dramatic life of the most remarkable Byzantine emperors from Constantine the Great to Constantine XI Paleologus. An informative text and splendid illustrations revive the leading personalities and the key events that determined the lot of the Byzantine Empire, which is believed to have been the best governed medieval state. A fascinating narrative of the glory and the fall of Byzantium, 'the second Rome' that inherited the power of the Roman state system and maintained for centuries the myth of itself as the 'eternal empire'.
Download or read book Emperor and Priest written by Gilbert Dagron and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-10-16 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complex study of the dual role of the emperor in Byzantium.
Download or read book Fourteen Byzantine Rulers written by Michael Psellus and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 1979-09-27 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This chronicle of the Byzantine Empire, beginning in 1025, shows a profound understanding of the power politics that characterized the empire and led to its decline.
Download or read book Byzantine Art and Diplomacy in an Age of Decline written by Cecily J. Hilsdale and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-02-20 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Questions how political decline refigures the visual culture of empire by examining the imperial image and the gift in later Byzantium (1261-1453). Provides a more nuanced account of medieval artistic cultural exchange that considers the temporal dimensions of power and the changing fates of empires.
Download or read book The Theodosian Code written by Jill Harries and published by Bloomsbury Academic. This book was released on 1993 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Heraclius Emperor of Byzantium written by Walter E. Kaegi and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-03-27 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Table of contents
