First published 2001 by Pearson Education Limited.
In 400 the mighty Roman Empire was almost as large as it had ever been; within three centuries, advances by Germanic peoples in western Europe, Slavs in eastern Europe and Arabs around the eastern and southern shores of the Mediterranean had brought about the loss of most of its territory. Ranging from Britain to Mesopotamia, this book explores the changes that resulted from these movements. It shows the different paths away from the classical past that were taken, and how the relatively unified civilization of the ancient Mediterranean gave place to the very different civilizations that cluster around the sea today.
This comprehensive and authoritative second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated line-by-line, and contains several new sections dealing for instance with the new evidence provided by recent finds like the Staffordshire Treasure and the widespread effects of the plague. As well as a completely new bibliographical essay, "The Roman Empire Divided" now also includes six maps and an expanded selection of illustrations fully integrated in the text.
Author(s): John Moorhead
Edition: 2
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2013
Language: English
Pages: XX+356
List of illustrations viii
Acknowledgements ix
Preface to the first edition x
Preface to the second edition xi
Maps xii
Introduction 1
1. The Empire 7
Frontiers 11
Barbarians 14
Non-Romans 17
Names and clothing 24
Roman society 27
Religion 34
2. The western Mediterranean to the mid-sixth century 39
Italy 39
Africa 54
Spain 65
3. From Gaul to France 72
Newcomers and the old establishment 74
Clovis 79
The sixth century 82
Franks and indigenes 84
A powerful woman 89
Centre and peripheries 92
Control of resources 96
The rise of the north 99
Changes in Latin 103
4. From Britain to England 106
Roman Britain 107
Newcomers 110
Indigenes 114
Newcomers and indigenes 116
Frankish influence 121
Scandinavian influence 123
Irish influence 125
Mediterranean influence 127
Underground wealth 132
Monarchy 134
Old and new 137
5. The western Mediterranean from the time of Justinian 140
Byzantium and the West 140
Africa 142
Catastrophes? 147
Italy 149
Spain 165
6. South of the Danube 174
The fifth century 178
The loss of Noricum 180
Justinian 182
Slavs and Avars 186
The seventh century 191
Supernatural defenders 194
Thessaloniki 196
The Empire fights back 200
Bulgars 203
7. The East to 661 207
A city and its empire 207
The Arabs 217
Muhammad 221
Persians and Jews 224
Preparation for expansion 229
Expansion begins 232
The initial impact of the Arabs 235
8. The East from 661 240
The new regime 240
Expansion to the west 242
Continuities 247
Discontinuities 249
Buildings 251
Iconoclasm 258
The balance of power 260
Co-existence 263
The end of the world? 265
Structural change 267
9. Systems great and small 274
The Pirenne thesis I 274
World systems 283
The Pirenne thesis II 289
The Mediterranean 291
The West looks back 294
Retrospect and prospect 296
Abbreviations 299
Notes 300
Bibliography 327
Index 342
