Readings in Late Antiquity: A Sourcebook

by Michael Maas

From Back Cover:
Late Antiquity, the period stretching roughly from the restructuring of the Roman Empire in the late third century AD to the rise of Islam int he seventh, witnessed the transformation of the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. Christianity displaced polytheism over a wide area, offering new definitions of identity and community. The Roman Empire collapsed in western Europe to be replaced by Germanic kingdoms. In the east, Byzantium emerged, while the Persian Empire reached its apogee and collapsed. Arab armies reshaped the political map and brought the era to a close.

This collection illustrates the dramatic political, social and religious changes of Late Antiquity through the words of the men and women who experienced them. It draws from Greek, Latin, Syriac, Hebrew, Coptic, Persian, Arabic and Armenian sources, some translated into English for the first time. The perspectives that emerge reveal the rich diversity of late antique cultures. The Roman Empire is kept at the centre of discussion, with chapters devoted to government, society, army, law, medicine, philosophy, Christianity, polytheism and Jews. Other chapters deal with the peoples who surrounded the Roman state: Persians, Hun, Germanic invaders who established new states in the west, and the followers of slaves, soldiers, doctors, lawyers, peasants, historians and saints who left a vivid record of their experiences.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

444 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

Reviews

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating organization of sources from the Late Antique world. It focuses on the Roman-influenced world, which ranges from the British Isles as faraway lands to the borders of Asia where the waves of Goths were coming from to Egypt that is being pushed from the southern North African populations.
It has really good chapter organization which makes it a great textbook for many classes.

[Bookreadingnarcissist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great source book on Christian and Pagan writers from 0-800 AD. Can't say I agree with many of Maas' comments, however.

[Reading Through the Lists · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was required reading for my History of the Roman Empire course--as a textbook it gives a nice variety of snippets from many different texts, all arranged around the chapter's theme. Because of its purpose, don't expect much in depth analysis of the sources or continuity, but rather use it as a way to taste a wide sample of many primary sources before choosing one to two to pursue further.