The Roman Empire In Late Antiquity: A Political And Military History

Description

In this volume, Hugh Elton offers a detailed and up to date history of the last centuries of the Roman Empire. Beginning with the crisis of the third century, he covers the rise of Christianity, the key Church Councils, the fall of the West to the Barbarians, the Justinianic reconquest, and concludes with the twin wars against Persians and Arabs in the seventh century AD. Elton isolates two major themes that emerge in this period. He notes that a new form of decision-making was created, whereby committees debated civil, military, and religious matters before the emperor, who was the final arbiter. Elton also highlights the evolution of the relationship between aristocrats and the Empire, and provides new insights into the mechanics of administering the Empire, as well as frontier and military policies. Supported by primary documents and anecdotes, The Roman Empire in Late Antiquity is designed for use in undergraduate courses on late antiquity and early medieval history. • Provides a detailed and up to date history of the Late Roman Empire • Focuses on how the Late Roman Empire worked, from the point of view of the emperor • Integrates religious politics into the core of the narrative List of Illustrations page vi List of Maps viii List of Abbreviations ix Notes on Names, Places, and Titles xi Introduction 1 1 Th e Late Th ird Century, 260– 313 5 2 Th e Early Fourth Century, 313– 363 51 3 Th e Military Situation, 260– 395 86 4 Th e Late Fourth Century, 363– 395 119 5 Th e Early Fifth Century, 395– 455 151 6 Th e Late Fifth Century, 455– 493 195 7 Th e Military Situation, 395– 493 224 8 Th e Late Fifth and Early Sixth Centuries, 491– 565 245 9 Th e Late Sixth Century, 565– 610 283 10 Th e Military Situation, 491– 610 304 11 Th e Reign of Heraclius, 610– 641 331 Conclusion 351 Glossary 353 Primary Sources 359 Index 365