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A History of Byzantium AHOA01 1 24/11/04, 5:49 PM Blackwell History of the Ancient World This series provides a new narrative history of the ancient world, from the beginnings of civilization in the ancient Near East and Egypt to the fall of Constantinople. Written by experts in their fields, the books in the series offer authoritative accessible surveys for students and general readers alike. Published A History of Byzantium Timothy E. Gregory A History of the Ancient Near East Marc Van De Mieroop In Preparation A History of Ancient Egypt David O’Connor A History of the Persian Empire Christopher Tuplin A History of the Archaic Greek World Jonathan Hall A History of the Classical Greek World P. J. Rhodes A History of the Hellenistic World Malcolm Errington A History of the Roman Republic John Rich A History of the Roman Empire Michael Peachin A History of the Later Roman Empire, AD 284–622 Stephen Mitchell AHOA01 2 24/11/04, 5:49 PM A History of Byzantium Timothy E. Gregory AHOA01 3 24/11/04, 5:49 PM © 2005 by Timothy E. Gregory BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Timothy E. Gregory to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First published 2005 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gregory, Timothy E. A history of Byzantium / Timothy E. Gregory. p. cm. — (Blackwell history of the ancient world) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-631-23512-4 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-631-23513-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Byzantine Empire—History. I. Title. II. Series. DF552.G68 2005 949.5′02—dc22 2004012925 A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. 1 1 Set in 10 /2/12 /2 pt Plantin by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall The publisher’s policy is to use permanent paper from mills that operate a sustainable forestry policy, and which has been manufactured from pulp processed using acid-free and elementary chlorine-free practices. Furthermore, the publisher ensures that the text paper and cover board used have met acceptable environmental accreditation standards. For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website: www.blackwellpublishing.com AHOA01 4 24/11/04, 5:49 PM Contents List of Figures vii List of Maps ix List of Boxes x Preface xii Introduction 1 1 The Crisis of the Third Century 21 2 The Revival under Diocletian 33 3 The Age of Constantine the Great 45 4 The Fourth Century: Constantius II to Theodosios I 66 5 The Fifth Century 95 6 The Age of Justinian 119 7 The Byzantine “Dark Ages”: Late Sixth and Seventh Centuries 148 8 The Isaurian Dynasty and Iconoclasm 183 9 Continued Struggle over Ikons 202 10 The Beginnings of the Macedonian Dynasty 217 11 The Apogee of Byzantine Power 237 12 The Komnenoi 257 13 The Aftermath of the Fourth Crusade 282 AHOA01 5 24/11/04, 5:50 PM vi CONTENTS 14 The Beginnings of Decline 298 15 The End of the Empire 325 16 Byzantium after the Fall of the City 340 Glossary 359 General Bibliography 366 A Selection of Primary Sources in English Translation 371 List of Byzantine Emperors 373 Index 378 AHOA01 6 24/11/04, 5:50 PM Figures 2.1 The Tetrarchs 35 2.2 Arch of Galerius 42 3.1 Solidus of Constantine I 51 3.2 Column of Constantine, Constantinople 59 3.3 Isometric view, church of St. John Lateran, Rome 63 4.1 Missorium of Theodosios I 83 5.1 Coin of Theodosios II 100 5.2 Northeast gate, Byzantine fortress at Isthmia (reconstruction) 101 5.3 Coin of Anastasios I 109 5.4 Funeral stele of an abbot 114 5.5 Qu’lat Se’man 118 6.1 The Empress Theodora, San Vitale, Ravenna 124 6.2 Hagia Sophia, plan 130 6.3 Hagia Sophia, interior 131 6.4 Bust of an aristocratic woman, probably Anicia Juliana 133 6.5 Anicia Juliana from the Vienna Dioscorides 134 6.6 Mosaic pavement with a representation of “Apolausis” 144 7.1 Byzantine fortress on the island of Dokos 158 7.2 Gold coin of Justinian II, first reign (692–5) 176 AHOA01 7 24/11/04, 5:50 PM viii FIGURES 7.3 Gold coin of Justinian II, second reign (705–11) 178 8.1 Iconoclasts at work 191 8.2 Gold coin of Constantine V and Leo IV 195 10.1 Plan of the monastery of Osios Meletios 224 10.2 Gold coin of Leo VI 226 10.3 The Mandylion 231 10.4 Ivory of Constantine VII 233 11.1 Megiste Lavra 239 11.2 Plan of the church of the Holy Apostles in Athens 252 11.3 Several cross-in-square churches 253 11.4 Coin of Romanos IV (1068–71) 255 12.1 Graffito of a ship from Korinth 265 12.2 Plan of medieval Korinth 276 12.3 Plan of the “Bema Church” in Korinth 277 12.4 “Little Metropolitan,” Athens 278 13.1 A glazed bowl 286 13.2 Cistercian monastery of Zaraka 287 14.1 Gracanica 302 14.2 St. Merkourios 309 14.3 Presentation of the Virgin 310 14.4 Meteora, the skete of Doupiani 312 14.5 Meteora, church of the Metamorphosis (Transfiguration) in the Great Meteoron 313 14.6 Meteora, the monastery of Rousanou 314 14.7 St. Anastasia the Medicine-healer 317 15.1 Sultan Mehmed II 331 15.2 Siege of Constantinople 335 16.1 Panagia Lactans 347 16.2 Last Judgment from Vatopedi Monastery, Mt. Athos 348 16.3 Detail from the Last Judgment 349 16.4 Modern “Byzantine” fresco 356 AHOA01 8 24/11/04, 5:50 PM Maps 0.1 The Eastern Mediterranean, showing geographical divisions, ca. 300 ad 4 0.2 The restored Roman Empire, ca. 300 ad 8 3.1 Constantinople in the fourth-fifth century 56 6.1 The Byzantine Empire in the time of Justinian (sixth century ad) 122 7.1 Islamic conquests 163 7.2 Themes in the seventh century 179 8.1 Themes in Asia Minor after the seventh century 184 10.1 Byzantium in the ninth century 221 12.1 The Byzantine Empire of the Komnenoi 259 13.1 The situation after the Fourth Crusade, ca. 1214 283 14.1 Monasteries of Mount Athos 301 AHOA01 9 24/11/04, 5:50 PM Boxes 2.1 Diocletian’s Attempt to Control Prices 41 2.2 The Great Persecution 43 3.1 The Founding of Constantinople 57 3.2 Eusebios of Caesarea’s Opposition to Christian Images 61 3.3 Arrangements for a Church 64 4.1 Constantius II Visits Rome (ad 357) 69 4.2 Heretics in Early Byzantium 71 4.3 Destruction of the Serapeum in Alexandria 86 5.1 Women of the House of Theodosios 98 5.2 The Murder of the Philosopher Hypatia 117 6.1 Anthemios of Tralles and Isidore of Miletos 129 6.2 Anicia Juliana 132 6.3 Transvestite Nuns 141 7.1 The Marriage of Maurice and Constantina, ad 582 152 7.2 Circus Faction Violence under Phokas 155 7.3 The Persistence of Pagan Practice: Canons of the Council in Trullo (691/2) 162 7.4 Theophanes on Muhammad and the Origins of Islam 165 7.5 The Fall of Jerusalem to the Arabs: The Nobility of Umar and the Patriarch Sophronios 167 AHOA01 10 24/11/04, 5:50 PM BOXES xi 7.6 The Miracles of St. Artemios 174 8.1 The Theory of Ikons 186 8.2 The Ekloga and Byzantine Society of the Eighth Century 193 8.3 The Decree of the Second Council of Nicaea (787) 198 9.1 The Poet Kassia (fl. 840) 208 9.2 Digenes Akritas 210 10.1 Byzantine Gold 218 10.2 Decoration of the Kainourgion Palace 220 10.3 The Mandylion 230 10.4 Liudprand of Cremona in Constantinople 234 11.1 Byzantine Houses 241 11.2 The Historian Michael Psellos 244 12.1 The Arrival of the First Crusade in the Byzantine Empire: Anna Komnena, Alexiad 260 12.2 Western-style Tournaments in Byzantium 275 13.1 Destruction of Ancient Art in the Latin Sack of Constantinople 284 13.2 Leon Sgouros, Tyrant of Nauplion 290 13.3 William Villehardouin and the Parliament of Ladies 292 13.4 St. Sava of Serbia 294 14.1 The Condition of Asia Minor at the End of the Fourteenth Century 303 14.2 The Monasteries of Meteora 311 14.3 St. Anastasia the Poison-curer 316 15.1 The Fearful Cannon 333 15.2 Byzantium and the Italian Renaissance 337 16.1 The Emperor Turned to Marble 341 16.2 Kornaros and Erotokritos 352 16.3 Byzantium and The Brothers Karamazov 353 AHOA01 11 24/11/04, 5:50 PM Preface This is a book on the history of the Byzantine Empire, one of the longest-lived and most important cultures in Western civilization, but also one of the least understood. The book is meant to be both concise and comprehensive, and as such it has been necessary to make a variety of decisions and sacrifices.
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