A History of the Later Roman Empire, AD 284-641: The Transformation of the Ancient World / Edition 1

by Stephen Mitchell

Overview

This book presents a historical study of the Roman Empire in Late Antiquity from the accession of the emperor Diocletian 284 to the death of the emperor Heraclius in 641.

• The only modern study to cover the western and eastern empire and the entire period from 284 to 641 in a single volume
• A bibliographical survey supports further study and research
• Includes chronological tables, maps, and charts of important information help to orient the reader
• Discusses the upheaval and change caused by the spread of Christianity and the barbarian invasions of the Huns, Goths and Franks
• Contains thematic coverage of the politics, religion, economy and society of the late Roman state
• Gives a full narrative of political and military events
• Discusses the sources for the period

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781405108577
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	09/18/2006
Series:	Blackwell History of the Ancient World
Pages:	488
Product dimensions:	6.97(w) x 9.95(h) x 1.26(d)

About the Author

Stephen Mitchell is Emeritus Professor of Ancient History at the University of Exeter and a Fellow of the British Academy. He is also the author of Anatolia. Land, Men, and Gods in Asia Minor (1993), Cremna in Pisidia (1996), and Pisidian Antoch (1998).

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations.

List of Maps.

List of Diagrams.

List of Abbreviations.

Preface.

1 An Introduction to Late Roman History.

2 The Nature of the Evidence.

3 The Roman Empire from Diocletian to Alaric.

4 The Roman Empire of the Fifth and Sixth Centuries.

5 The Roman State.

6 The Barbarian Kingdoms.

7 From Pagan to Christian.

8 Conversion to Christianity and the Politics of Religious Identity.

9 The Political Economy of the Later Roman Empire.

10 Society and Economy in the Mediterranean and the Near East.

11 The Challenges of the Later Sixth Century.

12 The Final Reckoning of the Eastern Empire.

Bibliography.

Chronological List of Emperors and Other Rulers.

Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This is a truly major work, with a remarkably coherent structure, and written with great clarity. It will become a much-used standard work. I know of no other single-volume account of the period which covers so clearly and so economically so many different aspects."
–Fergus Millar, Camden Professor of Ancient History (Emeritus), University of Oxford

"Stephen Mitchell enlarges a sound narrative account with some sparkling thematic chapters, uniting the latest archaeology with a good range of epigraphic, legal and literary evidence. Blackwell published A.H.M. Jones' Later Roman Empire forty years ago, and I shall put Mitchell's History beside it."
–Roger Tomlin, University of Oxford

Editorial Reviews

The great strength of Mitchell’s book is its firm grasp on the latest scholarship, including much that is not in English nor necessarily familiar. I found myself following a number of trails into his footnotes, which were both unknown to me and rewarding, and I will also have no hesitation in setting several of its chapters as a reliable introduction for students new to the subject.” (English Historical Review, February 2009)

"Mitchell has produced an extremely useful book.... [He] strikes the right balance between narrative and analysis, generality and detail.... The book is a page-turner, as well as a resource for students of all ages." (Greece & Rome, 2008)

"Mitchell offers students the opportunity to gain a broader vision of the late antique world, where the hard-headed activities of emperors, bureaucrats and generals count for as much as the colourful transformations of religion and culture." (The Classical Review, 2008)

"Mitchell's strong parts are the thought that he has given to the needs of the beginner, and his provision of the widest chronological overview in a single volume … .He has an easy style, refers frequently and appositely to modern parallels, and picks up modern interests and concerns such as the power of 'spin' and 'image' and the importance of environmental factors." (Latomus Revue, September 2008)

“The book is certainly worth including in any university or high school library and any student of late antiquity would benefit from reading it.” (Classical Review, 2007)

“Seldom can one give unreserved praise of a textbook, but Mitchell’s book on the later Roman Empire deserves it … Highly recommended.” (Choice)

"The volume of the on-going Blackwell History of the Ancient World is a very welcome addition to the growing collection of modern overviews of the Later Roman Empire … It is consciously modernising in the best possible sense, drawing lessons for the interpretation of the Later Roman Empire from the rapid collapse of political structures that had seemed destined for eternity until they were suddenly gone, which we have experienced in the modern world over the last twenty years. The book can for this reason alone be thoroughly recommended." (Scholia Reviews)

From the Publisher