The Byzantine World

Routledge Worlds

by Paul Stephenson (Editor)

The Byzantine World presents the latest insights of the leading scholars in the fields of Byzantine studies, history, art and architectural history, literature, and theology. Those who know little of Byzantine history, culture and civilization between AD 700 and 1453 will find overviews and distillations, while those who know much already will be afforded countless new vistas. Each chapter offers an innovative approach to a well-known topic or a diversion from a well-trodden path. Readers will be introduced to Byzantine women and children, men and eunuchs, emperors, patriarchs, aristocrats and slaves. They will explore churches and fortifications, monasteries and palaces, from Constantinople to Cyprus and Syria in the east, and to Apulia and Venice in the west. Secular and sacred art, profane and spiritual literature will be revealed to the reader, who will be encouraged to read, see, smell and touch. The worlds of Byzantine ceremonial and sanctity, liturgy and letters, Orthodoxy and heresy will be explored, by both leading and innovative international scholars. Ultimately, readers will find insights into the emergence of modern Byzantine studies and of popular Byzantine history that are informative, novel and unexpected, and that provide a thorough understanding of both.

Genres: History, Ancient History, Nonfiction

640 pages, Hardcover

First published February 11, 2010

About the author

Paul Stephenson studies the early and middle Byzantine periods (A.D. 300-1204). His published work has focused on middle Byzantine political and cultural history; the history and historiography of Southeastern Europe, medieval to modern; and religious warfare. Currently he is: completing a cultural history of a Byzantine monument, the Serpent Column; researching late antique and Byzantine views of sacred warfare and spiritual combat; editing separate volumes on the desire for Byzantium outside former Byzantine lands, and on the fountains of Byzantion - Constantinople - Istanbul; writing a general history of the Late Roman Empire in the East, c. 400-843, for Harvard Univ. Press and Profile Books. Stephenson has taught in the UK, Republic of Ireland, and the USA, and has held research fellowships from the British Academy (in Oxford), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (in Mainz), the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation (in Athens), and the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (in Uppsala). Before coming to Nijmegen, he was for five years Professor of Medieval History at Durham University, and for six year before that the Rowe Professor of Byzantine History at Dumbarton Oaks and the University of Wisconsin - Madison. In 2011-12 he was Vassiliadis Visiting Professor of History at the University of California, San Diego. Stephenson is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society (UK).

Stephenson offers instruction across a range of areas in medieval and Byzantine history. Notably, he offers a themacollege (senior seminar) on the transition from late antiquity to Byzantium and a research seminar devoted to medieval Rome and Constantinople for the MA Roma Aeterna. He is a co-convenor of the Duae Romae seminar, and teaches core elements of the HLCS research MA. He offers lectures for the undergraduate surveys of "Medieval History" and "Europa".

Reviews

[Brayton Cole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not worth the money, honestly. It's a collection of essays by various scholars, some of whom are interesting and insightful, some of whom are the sort who give the liberal arts a bad name. All the different perspectives don't add up to a clear picture of the Byzantine World of the title, because even the well-written and -researched essays all too often focus on excruciatingly narrow interests rather than systematically covering various aspects of Byzantine life. The whole last section is meta navel-gazing about the state of scholarship.

[Rob Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of essays on the the Byzantine world. For those interested in this rarely taught subject, these essays are quite enlightening. There is a catch. They assume a good knowledge of Byzantine history. For most of us, Rome ended. In the 5th century, and was destroyed by the barbarians. In truth, it lasted anther 1000 years, and the mortal would was given by western Christians in the 4th Crusade. While it lasted another few centuries, the would was mortal. I enjoyed this series of essays very much.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

pros
The book use comprehensable expressions leads to the introduction of the byzantine in various realms respectively. Before reading this book, you only need to have the knowledge of basic byzantine history and greek termiology.

cons
The book is a collection of papers written by various authors. Lack of summarized systematic thread throughout the book could make readers very confused.