Between the fall of the western Roman Empire in the fifth century and
the collapse of the east in the face of the Arab invasions in the
seventh, the remarkable era of the Emperor Justinian (527-568)
dominated the Mediterranean region. Famous for his conquests in Italy
and North Africa, and for the creation of spectacular monuments such
as the Hagia Sophia, his reign was also marked by global religious
conflict within the Christian world and an outbreak of plague that
some have compared to the Black Death. For many historians, Justinian
is far more than an anomaly of Byzantine ambition between the eras of
Attila and Muhammad; he is the causal link that binds together the two
moments of Roman imperial collapse. Determined to reverse the losses
Rome suffered in the fifth century, Justinian unleashed an aggressive
campaign in the face of tremendous adversity, not least the plague.
This book offers a fundamentally new interpretation of his conquest
policy and its overall strategic effect, which has often been seen as
imperial overreach, making the regime vulnerable to the Islamic
takeover of its richest territories in the seventh century and thus
transforming the great Roman Empire of Late Antiquity into its pale
shadow of the Middle Ages. In _Rome Resurgent_, historian Peter
Heather draws heavily upon contemporary sources, including the
writings of Procopius, the principal historian of the time, while also
recasting that author's narrative by bringing together new
perspectives based on a wide array of additional source material. A
huge body of archaeological evidence has become available for the
sixth century, providing entirely new means of understanding the
overall effects of Justinian's war policies. Building on his own
distinguished work on the Vandals, Goths, and Persians, Heather also
gives much fuller coverage to Rome's enemies than Procopius ever did.
A briskly paced narrative by a master historian, _Rome Resurgent_
promises to introduce readers to this captivating and unjustly
overlooked chapter in ancient warfare.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780199362769
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Vendor
Oxford University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter