A sweeping historical account of the Later Roman Empire incorporating the latest scholarly research
In the newly revised 3rd edition of A History of the Later Roman Empire, 284-700, distinguished historians Geoffrey Greatrex and Stephen Mitchell deliver a thoroughly up-to-date discussion of the Later Roman Empire. It includes tables of information, numerous illustrations, maps, and chronological overviews. As the only single volume covering Late Antiquity and the early Islamic period, the book is designed as a comprehensive historical handbook covering the entire span between the Roman Empire to the Islamic conquests.
The third edition is a significant expansion of the second edition—published in 2015—and includes two new chapters covering the seventh century. The rest of the work has been updated and revised, providing readers with a sweeping historical survey of the struggles, triumphs, and disasters of the Roman Empire, from the accession of the emperor Diocletian in AD 284 to the closing years of the seventh century. It also offers:
A thorough description of the massive political and military transformations in Rome’s western and eastern empires Comprehensive explorations of the latest research on the Later Roman Empire Practical discussions of the tumultuous period ushered in by the Arab conquests Extensive updates, revisions, and corrections of the second edition
Perfect for undergraduate and postgraduate students of ancient, medieval, early European, and Near Eastern history, A History of the Later Roman Empire, 284-700 will also benefit lay readers with an interest in the relevant historical period and students taking a survey course involving the late Roman Empire.
Contents List of Illustrationsxi List of Mapsxiii List of Diagramsxiv List of Abbreviationsxv Preface to the First Editionxviii Preface to the Second Editionxx Preface to the Third Editionxxii 1 An Introduction to Late Roman History 1 The Later Roman Empire, Late Antiquity, and the Contemporary World 4 The Third Century 11 Change and Development 13 2 The Nature of the Evidence 18 The Problem of Christian Sources 19 Hagiography 20 Chronicles 21 Eastern Sources 22 Panegyrics 23 The Secular Historians 26 The Church Historians 37 The Legal and Administrative Sources 39 Letter Collections 43 Inscriptions and Papyri 43 The Material World 45 3 The Roman Empire from Diocletian to Alaric 57 Prelude 57 A Military Monarchy 284–395: Overview 61 The Age of Diocletian and Constantine 64 The Emergence of Constantine 70 The Successors of Constantine 78 Julian 81 Valentinian and Valens 86 A Changing World 88 Theodosius I 91 Stilicho and Alaric 95 The Goths in Constantinople 100 4 The Roman Empire of the Fifth and Sixth Centuries 108 Preface 109 The Reign of Theodosius II 111 The Western Empire and the Barbarians, 411–55 116 Marcian and Leo 120 The Fall of the Western Empire 122 Zeno and Odoacar 124 Anastasius 126 The War with Persia 129 Justin 130 Justinian: The Years of Ambition 131 War on the Eastern Front 137 The Nika Riot 139 The Reconquest of the West: Africa 145 The Invasion of Italy 147 5 The Roman State 160 The Anatomy of the Empire 160 Propaganda and Ideology 161 Military Security 170 Taxes and the Army 174 Ruling the Empire 178 Social and Cultural Transformations 185 6 The Barbarian Kingdoms 198 The Origins of the Germanic Kingdoms of the West 198 The Huns 204 The Germanic Kingdoms of Western Europe in the Fifth Century 209 The Visigoths 210 The Burgundians 214 The Franks 216 Ostrogothic Italy 220 7 From Pagan to Christian 232 Approaching Religious Transformations in Late Antiquity 232 Religious Pluralism in Late Antiquity 236 Christian Diversity 240 Christianity and the State: Outlawry and Tolerance 245 8 Conversion to Christianity and the Politics of Religious Identity 265 Three Conversions and Their Consequences 265 Constantine 266 Julian 273 Augustine 277 Politics and Christianity 280 Monks and Holy Men 285 Religious Identities 287 The “Arian” Dispute 292 The Council of Chalcedon and the Emergence of Miaphysitism 299 9 The Political Economy of the Later Roman Empire 313 The Economic Structure of the Later Empire 313 The Monetary System and Taxation 317 Rome 319 Constantinople 324 Alexandria 330 Carthage 333 Antioch 334 10 Society and Economy in the Mediterranean and the Near East 343 The Eastern Empire 344 The Near East 344 Asia Minor 350 The Eastern Frontier Zones 356 Egypt 360 The Western Empire 365 Africa 365 Gaul 369 Italy 376 The Danube Region and the Balkans 378 Conclusions 382 11 The Challenges of the Later Sixth Century 392 The Bubonic Plague and Other Natural Catastrophes 393 Setbacks and Recovery in the Mid-Sixth Century 399 The Challenge of the Sasanians 408 The Renewal of Hostilities Between Rome and Persia 411 12 The Last Great War of Antiquity 426 The Northern Barbarians in the Sixth Century: Avars, Slavs, and Lombards 427 The Fall of Maurice 431 The Final Showdown with Persia 433 Religious Transformations 439 13 Arabia, Islam, and the Eclipse of the Old Order 446 The Arabian Peninsula in Late Antiquity 447 Apocalyptic Expectations 452 The Coming of Islam 454 Muhammad’s Teaching and Followers 456 The First Arab Conquests 458 The Fall of an Empire 461 Why Did the Arabs Prevail? 462 14 The Survival of the Eastern Empire 470 The Roman Reaction 471 The Year of Four Emperors 471 Politics and Theology 473 The Reign of Constans II: Stabilizing the Empire (641–55) 474 Changes in the Roman Army 477 The New Masters and the Conquered Lands 478 The Roman Empire on the Defensive 482 Withdrawal to the West 482 The Stabilization of the Eastern Frontier 484 Conclusion: The Dawn of a New Age? 489 The Evolution of the Roman State 491 15 The Fall of the Roman Empire 499 One or Two Empires? 500 Taxation and Diminishing State Revenue 503 The Loss of Military Capacity 507 Environmental Change in Late Antiquity 511 Demographic Regression and Plague in Late Antiquity 513 The Afterlife of Ancient Rome 525 Bibliography 532 Chronological List of Emperors and Other Rulers 557 Index 559
Geoffrey Greatrex is Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada. His research focuses on Late Antiquity, in particular Procopius of Caesarea and the reign of Justinian: his monograph, Rome and Persia at War, 502-532, was published in 1998, while a source book, The Roman Eastern Frontiers and the Persian Wars, A.D. 363-630, co-authored with Sam Lieu, appeared in 2002. He has also edited a translation and commentary of The Chronicle of Pseudo-Zachariah Rhetor (Liverpool, 2011) with two collaborators, and brought out several volumes of conference proceedings. In 2022 his commentary on Procopius' Persian Wars was published by Cambridge University Press along with a new translation. Stephen Mitchell graduated from Oxford University in 1970 and obtained his doctorate in 1975. He has held academic positions in the UK at the universities of Bristol, Swansea and Exeter. Since 1970 he has been a member, Council Member, Honorary Secretary and Chair of the British institute at Ankara, and Turkey has been a lifelong focal point for field work and academic research. He was made a Fellow of the British Academy in 2002 and awarded an honorary doctorate in 2006 by the Humboldt University, Berlin, where he currently lives.
