The Byzantine Empire was one of the most impressive imperial adventures
in history. It ruled much of Europe and Anatolia for a remarkable eleven
hundred years. From Constantine I's establishment of Byzantium (renamed
Constantinople) as his capital in 324 CE, until the fall of the city to
the Ottomans in 1453, the Byzantine domain became a powerhouse of
literature, art, theology, law and learning. Dionysios Stathakopoulos
here tells a compelling story of military conquest, alliance and
reversal, including the terrifying secret of Greek fire: of a state
constantly at war, but not warlike, resorting wherever possible to a
sophisticated diplomacy with its neighbours and enemies. Breaking with
outdated notions of Byzantium as an unchanging, theocratic state,
Stathakopoulos uses the most recent research to explore its political,
economic, social and cultural history. He evokes the dynamism of a
people whose story is one of astonishing resilience and adaptability;
and whose legacy, whether it be the bronze horses of the Hippodrome, or
the very term 'Byzantine', everywhere endures.
His new short history embraces individuals like Justinian I, the
powerful ruler who defeated the Ostrogoths in Italy and oversaw
construction of Hagia Sofia (completed in 537); his notorious queen
Theodora, a courtesan who rose improbably to the highest office of
imperial first lady; the charismatic but cuckolded general Belisarios;
and the religious leaders Arius and Athanasios, whose conflicting ideas
about Christ and doctrine shook the Empire to its core.
