Asia Minor in the Long Sixth Century

Asia Minor in the Long Sixth Century PDF Author: Ine Jacobs
Publisher: Oxbow Books
ISBN: 1789250102
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Asia Minor is considered to have been a fairly prosperous region in Late Antiquity. It was rarely disturbed by external invasions and remained largely untouched by the continuous Roman-Persian conflict until very late in the period, was apparently well connected to the flourishing Mediterranean economy and, as the region closest to Constantinople, is assumed to have played an important part in the provisioning of the imperial capital and the imperial armies. When exactly this prosperity came to an end – the late sixth century, the early, middle or even later seventh century – remains a matter of debate. Likewise, the impact of factors such as the dust veil event of 536, the impact of the bubonic plague that made its first appearance in AD 541/542, the costs and consequences of Justinian’s wars, the Persian attacks of the early seventh century and, eventually the Arab incursions of around the middle of the seventh century, remains controversial. The more general living conditions in both cities and countryside have long been neglected. The majority of the population, however, did not live in urban but in rural contexts. Yet the countryside only found its proper place in regional overviews in the last two decades, thanks to an increasing number of regional surveys in combination with a more refined pottery chronology. Our growing understanding of networks of villages and hamlets is very likely to influence the appreciation of the last decades of Late Antiquity drastically. Indeed, it would seem that the sixth century in particular is characterized not only by a ruralization of cities, but also by the extension and flourishing of villages in Asia Minor, the Roman Near East, and Egypt. This volume's series of themes include the physical development of large and small settlements, their financial situation, and the proportion of public and private investment. Imperial, provincial, and local initiatives in city and countryside are compared and the main motivations examined, including civic or personal pride, military incentives, and religious stimuli. The evidence presented will be used to form opinions on the impact of the plague on living circumstances in the sixth century and to evaluate the significance of the Justinianic period.

Archaeology and the Cities of Asia Minor in Late Antiquity

Archaeology and the Cities of Asia Minor in Late Antiquity PDF Author: Ortwin Dally
Publisher: Kelsey Museum Publications
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
The city was the fundamental social institution of Greek and Roman culture. More than the sack of Rome, the abandonment of provincial towns throughout the Mediterranean world in late antiquity (fourth-seventh centuries A.D.) marks the beginning of the Middle Ages. This volume examines archaeological evidence for this last phase of urban life in Asia Minor, one of the Roman empire's most prosperous regions. Based on the proceedings of a symposium co-sponsored by the University of Michigan and the German Archaeological Institute, it brings together studies by an international group of scholars on topics ranging from the public sculpture of Constantinople to the depopulation of the Anatolian countryside in early Byzantine times.

In the Land of a Thousand Gods

In the Land of a Thousand Gods PDF Author: Christian Marek
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691182906
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 820

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Book Description
This monumental book provides the first comprehensive history of Asia Minor from prehistory to the Roman imperial period. In this English-language edition of the critically acclaimed German book, Christian Marek masterfully employs ancient sources to illuminate civic institutions, urban and rural society, agriculture, trade and money, the influential Greek writers of the Second Sophistic, the notoriously bloody exhibitions of the gladiatorial arena, and more.

A History of the Later Roman Empire, AD 284-700

A History of the Later Roman Empire, AD 284-700 PDF Author: Stephen Mitchell
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119768578
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 630

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Book Description
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.

Christianizing Asia Minor

Christianizing Asia Minor PDF Author: Paul McKechnie
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108481469
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 343

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Book Description
Explores the growth of Christianity in inland Roman Asia, as cities and rural communities moved away from polytheistic Greco-Roman religion.

Cities, Fortresses, and Villages of Byzantine Asia Minor

Cities, Fortresses, and Villages of Byzantine Asia Minor PDF Author: Clive Foss
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 382

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Book Description
These essays deal with the history and archaeology of Byzantine Asia Minor from the 4th to the 14th century. They include regional surveys of the southwest (Lycia and Pamphylia) and discussions of specific sites and monuments elsewhere. These include many fortifications which have never been analysed or integrated into the archaeological or historical record of Byzantium. The work puts all kinds of surviving remains into the context of history, to show that the archaeological record is essential for recreating and understanding the nature and development of the Byzantine empire.

The Routledge Handbook of the Byzantine City

The Routledge Handbook of the Byzantine City PDF Author: Nikolas Bakirtzis
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 0429515758
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 719

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Book Description
The Byzantine world contained many important cities throughout its empire. Although it was not ‘urban’ in the sense of the word today, its cities played a far more fundamental role than those of its European neighbors. This book, through a collection of twenty-four chapters, discusses aspects of, and different approaches to, Byzantine urbanism from the early to late Byzantine periods. It provides both a chronological and thematic perspective to the study of Byzantine cities, bringing together literary, documentary, and archival sources with archaeological results, material culture, art, and architecture, resulting in a rich synthesis of the variety of regional and sub-regional transformations of Byzantine urban landscapes. Organized into four sections, this book covers: Theory and Historiography, Geography and Economy, Architecture and the Built Environment, and Daily Life and Material Culture. It includes more specialized accounts that address the centripetal role of Constantinople and its broader influence across the empire. Such new perspectives help to challenge the historiographical balance between ‘margins and metropolis,’ and also to include geographical areas often regarded as peripheral, like the coastal urban centers of the Byzantine Mediterranean as well as cities on islands, such as Crete, Cyprus, and Sicily which have more recently yielded well-excavated and stratigraphically sound urban sites. The Routledge Handbook of the Byzantine City provides both an overview and detailed study of the Byzantine city to specialist scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike and, therefore, will appeal to all those interested in Byzantine urbanism and society, as well as those studying medieval society in general.

The Archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia

The Archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia PDF Author: Philipp Niewöhner
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190610468
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 481

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Book Description
"The volume propounds a new understanding of the hitherto enigmatic medievalisation of the Roman empire, provides English presentations of foreign-language research, and can serve as a textbook that may help to establish Anatolian archaeology more widely in academic curricula worldwide"--Provided by publisher.

The Byzantine Neighbourhood

The Byzantine Neighbourhood PDF Author: Fotini Kondyli
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429764987
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
The Byzantine Neighbourhood contributes to a new narrative regarding Byzantine cities through the adoption of a neighbourhood perspective. It offers a multi-disciplinary investigation of the spatial and social practices that produced Byzantine concepts of neighbourhood and afforded dynamic interactions between different actors, elite and non-elite. Authors further consider neighbourhoods as political entities, examining how varieties of collectivity formed in Byzantine neighbourhoods translated into political action. By both acknowledging the unique position of Constantinople, and giving serious attention to the varieties of provincial experience, the contributors consider regional factors (social, economic, and political) that formed the ties of local communities to the state and illuminate the mechanisms of empire. Beyond its Byzantine focus, this volume contributes to broader discussions of premodern urbanism by drawing attention to the spatial dimension of social life and highlighting the involvement of multiple agents in city-making.

The European Countryside during the Migration Period

The European Countryside during the Migration Period PDF Author: Irene Bavuso
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110778505
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 475

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Book Description
Research on late antique and early medieval migrations has long acknowledged the importance of interdisciplinarity. The field is constantly nourished by new archaeological discoveries that allow for increasingly refined pictures of socio-economic development. Yet the perspectives adopted by historians and archaeologists are frequently different, and so are their conclusions. Diverging views exist in respect to varying geographical areas and scholarly traditions too. This volume brings together history and archaeology to address the impact of the inflow and outflow of migrations on the rural landscape, the creation of new settlement patterns, and the role of migrations and mobility in transforming society and economy. Such themes are often investigated under a regional or macro-regional viewpoint, resulting in too fragmented an understanding of a widespread phenomenon. Spanning Eastern and Western Europe, the book takes steps toward an integrated picture of territories normally investigated as separate entities, and critically establishes grounds for new comparisons and models on late antique and early medieval transformations.