The Rome that Did Not Fall: The Survival of the East in the Fifth Century by Gerard Friell

by Stephen Williams

Why did the Western Roman empire collapse in the fifth century and the Eastern Roman empire survive for another thousand years? br br i The Rome That Did Not Fall /i examines the two halves of the Roman empire in the fifth century_the Latin West and the Greek East. Stephen Williams and Gerard Friell explore how, despite similar military and political turmoils, the western empire all but collapsed and the eastern empire survived and consolidated its power in the face of the invading barbarians, weak and immature emperors and intrigues around the throne. br br i The Rome That Did Not Fall /i analyzes the remarkable recovery of the eastern empire, comparing the parallel and diverging developments in east and west, and tracing the evolution of new skills and strategies in the east_diplomatic, military, political and fiscal. br br This well-illustrated and well-documented book provides a stimulating exploration of the fifth century Roman empire.

Genres: History, Roman History

Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Felix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very instructive and interesting. The authors present a very lucid argument as to why the Eastern empire escaped destruction while the Western floundered.

E.g. in the West there was a single generalissimo, aka "patrician" while in the East there were 5 different army groups with competing generals; rather paradoxically, the latter arrangement proved more stable because it worked out as a sort of balance of power and the imperial court was able to play the generals off each other politically without succumbing to outright civil war (at least not too often).

This is the sort of stuff you don't get in the more sweeping surveys and in my opinion the answer to the big riddle (why the West fell and the East did not) lies in such things. The book is full of them.

See also the professional BMCR review which is as always excellent: http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2000/2000-01...

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know enough about the very early centuries of Byzantium, and now I have a taste. Well written, not too heavy on the drama. Balanced.