Byzantium : the surprising life of a Medieval empire / Judith Herrin

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: A different history of Byzantium -- The city of Constantine -- Constantinople, the largest city in Christendom -- The East Roman Empire -- Greek orthodoxy -- The church of Hagia Sophia -- The Ravenna Mosaics -- Roman law -- The bulwark against Islam -- Icons, a new Christian art form -- Iconoclasm and icon veneration -- A literate and articulate society -- Saints Cyril and methodios, 'apostles to the slavs' -- Greek fire -- The Byzantine economy -- Eunuchs -- The imperial court -- Imperial children, 'born in the purple' -- Mount Athos -- Venice and the fork -- Basil II, 'the bulgar-slayer' -- Eleventh-century crisis -- Anna Komnene -- A cosmopolitan society -- The fulcrum of the crusades -- The towers of Trebizond, Arta, Nicaea and Thessanlonike -- Rebels and patrons -- 'Better the Turkish turban than the Papal tiara' -- The siege of 1453 -- Conclusion: The greatness and legacy of Byzantium.

"Byzantium. The name evokes grandeur and exoticism - gold, cunning, and complexity. In this unique book Judith Herrin unveils the riches of a quite different civilization. Avoiding a standard chronological account of the Byzantine Empire's millennium-long history, she identifies the fundamental questions about Byzantium - what it was, and what special significance it holds for us today." "She argues that Byzantium's crucial role as the eastern defender of Christendom against Muslim expansion during the early Middle Ages made Europe - and the modern Western world - possible. Herrin captivates us with her discussions of all facets of Byzantine culture and society. She walks us through the complex ceremonies of the imperial court. She describes the transcendent beauty and power of the church of Hagia Sophia, as well as chariot races, monastic spirituality, diplomacy, and literature. She reveals the fascinating worlds of military usurpers and ascetics, eunuchs and courtesans, and artisans who fashioned the silks, icons, ivories, and mosaics so readily associated with Byzantine art."--BOOK JACKET.