Byzantium: The Early Centuries, Volume 1In this brilliant narrative, John Julius Norwich tells the story of the Byzantine Empire from its beginnings to the emergence of its only European rival, the Holy Roman Empire, with the coronation of Charlemagne on Christmas Day AD 800. Those first five centuries were marked by stupendous changes and dramas: the adoption of Christianity by the Graeco-Roman world; the fall of Rome; the reigns of Constantine, Theodosius the Great, and Justinian; and the intrigues of such empresses as Eudoxia and Theodora. They were centuries of bloodshed, in which the empire struggled for its life; centuries of controversy, in which men argued passionately about the nature of Christ and of his church; centuries of scholarship, in which the culture of the ancient world was kept alive and preserved; and centuries of creativity, in which the Byzantine genius brought forth art and architecture inspired by and infused with a depth of spirituality unparalleled in any other age. "Byzantium" evokes the mystery and magic of this most remarkable empire. -- From publisher's description |
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Alaric already Amalasuntha Anastasius Antioch Arcadius Arian army arrived Attila Avars barbarian Basiliscus battle Belisarius bishops Bosphorus Byzantine Byzantium Caesar campaign capital Carthage century Chalcedon Chosroes Christ Christian Church command Constans Constantine Constantinople Council death early East eastern Emperor Empress enemies Eusebius exile expedition father favour finally Gate Gaul Gelimer gold Gothic Goths Greek hand Heraclius Hippodrome Holy Honorius iconoclast imperial Irene Isaurian Italy Jerusalem John Julian Justin Justinian Khagan King later Licinius magister militum Marmara Meanwhile Milan monophysite murder Narses never Odoacer once ordered pagan palace Patriarch peace Persian Placidia Pope Praetorian Praetorian Prefect Prefect Procopius provinces Ravenna refused reign remained Roman Empire Rome ruler seems Senate sent Sergius siege soldiers soon St Sophia Stilicho successor Theodahad Theodoric Theodosius Thrace throne Totila troops turn Valentinian Vandal victory walls West Western wife young Zeno