Synopses & Reviews
In this bold approach to late antiquity, Garth Fowden shows how, from the second-century peak of Rome's prosperity to the ninth-century onset of the Islamic Empire's decline, powerful beliefs in One God were used to justify and strengthen "world empires." But tensions between orthodoxy and heresy that were inherent in monotheism broke the unitary empires of Byzantium and Baghdad into the looser, more pluralistic commonwealths of Eastern Christendom and Islam. With rare breadth of vision, Fowden traces this transition from empire to commonwealth, and in the process exposes the sources of major cultural contours that still play a determining role in Europe and southwest Asia.
Review
An intelligent essay. . . . [It] should open new cooperation between scholars of late antiquity and early Christianity, and scholars of early Islam. -- Choice A tight, powerful volume that, among other things, makes some fairly revolutionary comparisons between the Islamic empire and Rome. -- The Voice Literary Supplement Fowden offers much that is new, interesting, and certainly correct in a manner that is generally appealing. The interaction of different cultures in the Ancient Near East is currently a popular area of research. Fowden has offered a valuable contribution to this field. -- John Vanderspoel, Bryn Mawr Classical Review This is a short book on a big subject: it is nothing less than an essay in large-scale historical interpretation. . . . a courageous and stimulating book. . . . -- R. A. Markus, Journal of Roman Studies
Review
"An intelligent essay. . . . [It] should open new cooperation between scholars of late antiquity and early Christianity, and scholars of early Islam."--Choice
Review
"A tight, powerful volume that, among other things, makes some fairly revolutionary comparisons between the Islamic empire and Rome."--The Voice Literary Supplement
Review
"Fowden offers much that is new, interesting, and certainly correct in a manner that is generally appealing. The interaction of different cultures in the Ancient Near East is currently a popular area of research. Fowden has offered a valuable contribution to this field."--John Vanderspoel, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Review
"This is a short book on a big subject: it is nothing less than an essay in large-scale historical interpretation. . . . a courageous and stimulating book."--R. A. Markus, Journal of Roman Studies
Review
This is a short book on a big subject: it is nothing less than an essay in large-scale historical interpretation. . . . a courageous and stimulating book. . . . Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Synopsis
In this bold approach to late antiquity, Garth Fowden shows how, from the second-century peak of Rome's prosperity to the ninth-century onset of the Islamic Empire's decline, powerful beliefs in One God were used to justify and strengthen "world empires." But tensions between orthodoxy and heresy that were inherent in monotheism broke the unitary empires of Byzantium and Baghdad into the looser, more pluralistic commonwealths of Eastern Christendom and Islam. With rare breadth of vision, Fowden traces this transition from empire to commonwealth, and in the process exposes the sources of major cultural contours that still play a determining role in Europe and southwest Asia.
Table of Contents
| List of illustrations | |
| Abbreviations | |
| Note on transliteration and references | |
| Preface | |
| Acknowledgments | |
| Introduction | 3 |
1 | The world's two eyes: Iran, Rome, and the pursuit of world empire | 12 |
| The geographical focus | 12 |
| Iran, the Greeks, and Polytheist Rome | 19 |
| Sasanian universalism | 24 |
2 | Polytheist Rome: Toward cultural universalism within empire | 37 |
| Seeds of polytheist universalism | 37 |
| Alexandria | 44 |
| Rome | 45 |
| The third century | 50 |
| Julian and Helios-Mithras | 52 |
| Universalism and Rome's identity | 57 |
3 | The Fertile Crescent: Cultural universalism between and beyond empires | 61 |
| The Sabians of Harran | 62 |
| Judaism | 65 |
| Manichaeism | 72 |
| Christianity | 76 |
4 | Constantine: Christian empire and crusade | 80 |
| Antecedents of Christian Rome | 80 |
| Constantine's strategy | 85 |
| Empire and Church | 86 |
| Mission | 90 |
| Iran | 93 |
5 | The First Byzantine Commonwealth: Interactions of political and cultural universalism | 100 |
| The geographical focus | 101 |
| Iberia and Armenia | 104 |
| Southern Arabia and Ethiopia | 109 |
| Nubia | 116 |
| The Arabs | 119 |
| Christians of Iran and beyond | 121 |
| The politico-cultural entity | 124 |
6 | Islam: World empire, then commonwealth | 138 |
| The building of world empire | 138 |
| Empire and religion | 152 |
| The Islamic Commonwealth | 160 |
| Epilogue | 169 |
| Bibliography | 177 |
| Index | 201 |