Roman Empire Divided 400 700

The decline and `fall of the Roman Empire' has transfixed us for centuries as one of the most significant events in western history.  `The Roman Empire Divided' shows how the power of the mighty empire was swept away and succeeded by states founded by Slavs, Arabs, Germanic people and others over most of its territory, and how the foundations of the later histories of western Europe, the Balkans the Middle East were laid. Panoramic and pathbreaking, this is the first book to cover the end of the Empire across the continent and beyond.  It places the changing map of Europe in the context of other developments of the period, including the increasing importance of religion in society, new kinds of social life and economic activity and crucially the ways in which people came to identify themselves ethnically.  It considers the extent to which political change reflected trends which had long been under way.  Most importantly, it shows how the civilization and unity of the ancient world gave way to smaller units which had little in common with each other. John Moorhead is McCaughey Professor of History at the University of Queensland.  He is the author of many books including `Justinian' (1994), `Ambrose' (1999) and `Persecution' (1992).

 Unmatched in its chronological sweep, and with an impressive and unusual geographical range, this ambitious history offers a new and vital interpretation of the post-Roman world.  The decline and fall of the Roman Empire has transfixed historians for centuries. This important new account looks at what happened after the power of the once mighty empire was swept away. Smaller states founded by Slavs, Arabs, Germanic peoples and others moved in to fill the void and laid the foundations for the later histories of western Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East and north Africa. John Moorhead looks at how these fundamental changes were influenced by other social, economic and political developments taking place at the same time. Using a fascinating array of evidence he weaves the numerous threads into a convincing and lucid narrative and shows how, by the end of the eighth century, the civilization of the ancient world had been replaced by a series of units which had very little in common with each other.

Unmatched in its chronological sweep, and with an impressive and unusual geographical range, this ambitious history offers a new and vital interpretation of the post-Roman world. The decline and fall of the Roman Empire has transfixed historians for centuries. This important new account looks at what happened after the power of the once mighty empire was swept away. Smaller states founded by Slavs, Arabs, Germanic peoples and others moved in to fill the void and laid the foundations for the later histories of western Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East and north Africa. John Moorhead looks at how these fundamental changes were influenced by other social, economic and political developments taking place at the same time. Using a fascinating array of evidence he weaves the numerous threads into a convincing and lucid narrative and shows how, by the end of the eighth century, the civilization of the ancient world had been replaced by a series of units which had very little in common with each other.

John Moorhead is McCaughey Professor of History at the University of Queensland. He has published widely in the field of ancient and medieval history.

List of Illustrations Foreword Introduction Chapter 1 The EmpireFrontiers BarbariansNon-RomansNames and Clothing

Roman Society

Religion

Chapter 2

The western Mediterranean till the mid-sixth century

Italy

Africa

Spain

Chapter 3

From Gaul to France

Newcomers and the old establishment

Clovis

The sixth century

Franks and indigenes

Centre and peripheries

Control of resources

The north

Changes

Chapter 4

From Britain to England

Roman Britain

Newcomers

Indigenes and newcomers

Newcomers and indigenes

Frankish influence

Irish influence

Mediterranean influence

Monarchy

Old and new

Chapter 5

The western Mediterranean post-Justinian

Byzantium and the West

Africa

Italy

Spain

Chapter 6

South of the Danube

The fifth century

The loss of Noricum

Justinian

Slaves and Avars

The seventh century

Thessaloniki

The Empire fights back

Bulgars

Chapter 7

The East to 661

A city and its empire

The Arabs

Muhammand

Persians and Jews

Preparation for expansion

Expansion begins

The initial impact of the Arabs

Chapter 8

The East from 661

The new regime

Expansion to the west

Buildings

Iconoclasm

The balance of Power

Co-existence and apocalypse

Structural change

Chapter 9

Systems great and small

The Pirenne thesis I

World Systems

The Pirenne thesis II

The Mediterranean

The west looks back

Retrospect and prospect

Notes

Bibliography

Index