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Byzantium the Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire Judith Herrin 9780713999976 Books

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Byzantium the Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire Judith Herrin 9780713999976 Books

On page xiii, the author notes that a couple workers in hard hats, after having seen from her office door that she taught Byzantine history, wondered what Byzantine history was. She tried in a few minutes to explain, and they followed up by asking "why she didn't. . .write about it for them?" And, indeed, she decided to write this volume for a broader audience. Her goal in this book (Page xiv): ". . .I want you to understand how the modern western world, which developed from Europe, could not have existed had it not been shielded and inspired what happened further to the east in Byzantium."

Byzantium originated as the eastern portion of the Roman Empire, while Rome still stood as the center of the Western Empire. Over time, the Western Empire declined and fell (pace Gibbon). The book considers the evolution and development of Byzantium and the Eastern Empire from its start as a Roman bastion in the fourth century (under the Emperor Constantine, after whom the city Constantinople was named) to its final fall in 1453.

There is much material covered in this volume. It is not organized along a strictly chronological template, although there is some temporal ordering--from its foundations to the medieval era to its final demise. However, in each of these sections, there is coverage of a variety of aspects of the Eastern realm. The Foundations portion considers Greek Orthodoxy, the great churches, such as Hagia Sophia, continuing links with Rome and, after its fall, Italy, and Roman Law.

As we move toward the Medieval era, the author, Judith Herrin, points out the key role of Byzantium in protecting Europe from Islam, by standing as a bastion between Islam and Europe. Also considered is the art and religious artifacts (such as icons) of the Empire. Greek fire, a key part of Byzantium's defenses, is discussed, as are other factors such as the economy, politics, sometime internal instability as intrigues sometimes led to the replacement of one emperor by another.

Finally, the inevitable fall, as Byzantium became more and more compressed, surrounded by a new force--Turks. Finally, in 1453, the Turks with their heavy cannon, breached the walls of Byzantium and its existence as an independent state ended.

Some nice features: a list of many of the emperors and the dates of their rule (pages 354-356), a chronology of major events (pages 357-361), and fairly well drawn maps (pages 363-373).

There is, of course, so much more detail. The book is solidly written by Herrin (the words don't flow magically, but the language is accessible to most people). Her appraisal of the major role of Byzantium in western history goes into much greater depth than what I am able to mention. Each reader will have to determine how convincing her arguments are, as she strove the answer the two workers.


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Byzantium the Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire Judith Herrin 9780713999976 Books Reviews

This is an absolutely excellent series of essays on the premier medieval empire, Byzantium. The writer expertly sketches the history, indicating what is important and what it meant, both in belief and of historical impact. What makes this book demanding and a great pleasure is that she respects the readers' intelligence and never over-simplifies for the sake of brevity; that being said, I would not recommend this to readers who are unfamiliar with the outlines of the history, to which she alludes but doesn't always explain.

While not a historical narrative, the chapter progress more or less chronologically, from its origins in late antiquity, to its fall as a way to presage the Renaissance. Founded at the great trade routes from East to West by the first christian emperor, Byzantium evolved into the first purely autocratic power with the legitimation rituals of traditional Asian kings. It thus served as the model for the monarchies and petty despotisms that were rising to its West. Herrin describes this better than anywhere I have seen this, in wonderful perspective. Byzantium was also the first true christian state, mixing dogmatic monotheistic religion with the functions of government. The way that it evolved and split into sects is clearly delineated by Herrin, the seeds of cultures we can see today.

Herrin also argues that Byzantium was not a mere preserver of classical tradition, but a synthesizer of old systems with the new, that is, Christianity. While I think she over-states her case - there is a genuine decadence to Eastern Rome's obsession with old forms - she makes one of the best cases I know for Byzantium's dynamism and creativity. Personally, I find its art, its attempts at consolidating and preserving (and updating) Roman law rather stilted and derivative, but she convinced me that my view is far too one-sided. In addition, she transmits the sense that Greek culture stayed very much alive in a more continuous and lively way than the Latin tradition did to the West.

Finally, Herrin describes the legacy of Byzantium, both as the last-line defense against the Arabs and then the Turks, but also the impact of the exodus of Greek scholars to the West, providing many of the sources that flowered in the Renaissance. I learned the most about the military history in this section, that the Byzantines had become accustomed to fighting the Persians in large military formations, leaving them vulnerable to Arab cavalry with its mobility and lighter-armed warriors fighting in the spirit of jihad. Once the Turks appeared, the Byzantines had become famously decadent, squandering their energy in civil wars, doctrinal disputes, and preoccupation with Slavic pagans that they converted to Greek Orthodoxy. The fall of Constantinople, in so many ways, signals the end of the Middle Ages, expertly evoked by Herrin in splendid prose.

Warmly recommended for any serious student of history.
The Author state that she has written this book for those who wish to know more about Byzantium. Rather than a narrative history, each chapter describes a topic of interest relevant to the average person. It is assessable to those with only minimal background in the period, although I think someone with no background might be better off starting with a survey of the period involved. I recommend this book for those with a casual interest in Byzantium.
I like the way Herrin eschewed the likely tedium of a chronological treatment of Byzantium's history and, instead, highlighted diverse Byzantine socio-cultural motifs that, when considered as a whole, form an admirably panoramic warp and weft. Prof. Herrin's writing style is appropriately studious without being inaccessible to the non-student, I would imagine. Most pleasantly, I did not detect any of the subtle disdain for the Orthodox church that mars some other contemporary works on the broader aspect of Byzantine study. I subtract a star because a work of this unique structure, scope, and ambition truly ought to have featured copious footnotes/endnotes. The index is also less than comprehensive; believe me. Otherwise, a superb bibliography and several other bonuses (e.g. a fresh, well-constructed Chronology) do much to neutralize my quibbles. Herrin's book is a valuable addition to the library of any student of Byzantium. For me, however, Holum's groundbreaking "Theodosian Empresses" still remains the benchmark, at least for understanding the raw-yet-complicated foundational dynamic that made this extraordinary empire possible at all.
On page xiii, the author notes that a couple workers in hard hats, after having seen from her office door that she taught Byzantine history, wondered what Byzantine history was. She tried in a few minutes to explain, and they followed up by asking "why she didn't. . .write about it for them?" And, indeed, she decided to write this volume for a broader audience. Her goal in this book (Page xiv) ". . .I want you to understand how the modern western world, which developed from Europe, could not have existed had it not been shielded and inspired what happened further to the east in Byzantium."

Byzantium originated as the eastern portion of the Roman Empire, while Rome still stood as the center of the Western Empire. Over time, the Western Empire declined and fell (pace Gibbon). The book considers the evolution and development of Byzantium and the Eastern Empire from its start as a Roman bastion in the fourth century (under the Emperor Constantine, after whom the city Constantinople was named) to its final fall in 1453.

There is much material covered in this volume. It is not organized along a strictly chronological template, although there is some temporal ordering--from its foundations to the medieval era to its final demise. However, in each of these sections, there is coverage of a variety of aspects of the Eastern realm. The Foundations portion considers Greek Orthodoxy, the great churches, such as Hagia Sophia, continuing links with Rome and, after its fall, Italy, and Roman Law.

As we move toward the Medieval era, the author, Judith Herrin, points out the key role of Byzantium in protecting Europe from Islam, by standing as a bastion between Islam and Europe. Also considered is the art and religious artifacts (such as icons) of the Empire. Greek fire, a key part of Byzantium's defenses, is discussed, as are other factors such as the economy, politics, sometime internal instability as intrigues sometimes led to the replacement of one emperor by another.

Finally, the inevitable fall, as Byzantium became more and more compressed, surrounded by a new force--Turks. Finally, in 1453, the Turks with their heavy cannon, breached the walls of Byzantium and its existence as an independent state ended.

Some nice features a list of many of the emperors and the dates of their rule (pages 354-356), a chronology of major events (pages 357-361), and fairly well drawn maps (pages 363-373).

There is, of course, so much more detail. The book is solidly written by Herrin (the words don't flow magically, but the language is accessible to most people). Her appraisal of the major role of Byzantium in western history goes into much greater depth than what I am able to mention. Each reader will have to determine how convincing her arguments are, as she strove the answer the two workers.