Byzantine Fortifications

Protecting the Roman Empire in the East

Nikos Kontogiannis

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English

Pen and Sword
01 May 2022

History; Ancient history: to c 500 CE

The Byzantine empire was one of the most powerful forces in the Mediterranean and Near East for over a thousand years. Strong military organisation, in particular widespread fortifications, was essential for its defence. Yet this aspect of its history is often neglected, and no detailed overview has been published for over thirty years. That is why Nikos Kontogiannis's ambitious account of Byzantine fortifications -their construction and development and their role in times of war -is such a valuable and timely publication. His ambitious study combines the results of decades of wide-ranging archaeological work with an account of the armies, weapons, tactics and defensive strategies of the empire throughout its long history. Fortifications built in every region of the empire are covered, from those in Mesopotamia, Syria and Africa, to those in Asia Minor, the Aegean and the Balkan peninsula. This all-round survey is essential reading and reference for anyone with a special interest in the Byzantine empire and in the wider history of fortification.

AUTHOR: Dr Nikos Kontogiannis is Assistant Professor of Byzantine Archaeology and Art at Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey. He is a leading expert on the archaeology of the Byzantine empire and has made a special study of Byzantine fortifications and defenses. His most recent publication in this area, with Michael Heslop, is a reassessment of the defenses of Middle Byzantium in Greece.

40 illustrations

By: Nikos Kontogiannis
Imprint: Pen and Sword
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781526710253
ISBN 10: 1526710250
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 01 May 2022
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

Dr Nikos Kontogiannis is Assistant Professor of Byzantine Archaeology and Art at Ko University in Istanbul, Turkey. He is a leading expert on the archaeology of the Byzantine empire and has made a special study of Byzantine fortifications and defences. His most recent publication in this area, with Michael Heslop, is a reassessment of the defences of Middle Byzantium in Greece.

Reviews for Byzantine Fortifications: Protecting the Roman Empire in the East

"""[W]ithout doubt a stimulating and significant contribution to the field, not just of Byzantine history in general, but to the history and evolution of medieval fortification and military technology more broadly. It will be useful for specialists of the Byzantine world as well as those from neighboring fields of historical study.""-- ""Bryn Mawr Classical Review"" ""...a big help for those wishing to recreate [fortifications] in scale on the tabletop. It's a magnificent and inspirational survey.""-- ""HGMS"""