Byzantium

by Giles Morgan

So what's so significant about the Byzantine Empire? It is now recognised as having had a considerable influence on the Renaissance and a significant impact in the shaping modern Europe and modern historians are increasingly acknowledging the role the Byzantine Empire played in the development of both Islam and Christianity, and the relationship between the two. The term 'Byzantine' derives from the ancient Greek city of Byzantium founded in 667 BC by colonists from Megara. It was named in honour of their leader Byzas. It later became better known as Constantinople, that gateway between West and East and played a crucial role in the transmission of Christianity to the West. Constantine is now generally known as the first Christian Emperor, and in recent years interest in him has grown, with his role in the development of Christianity being questioned by Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, amongst others. A closer examination of this formative period in the history of the church reveals a struggle to gain a coherent and cohesive religious identity. Christianity would emerge as the major religion of the Byzantine Empire in a departure from the pagan worship of the Roman Empire. The Byzantine Empire was often at the centre of profound geopolitical, cultural and religious forces that threatened to pull it apart. When Byzantine forces suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Manzikert for example, appeals to the West precipitated the First Crusade. In 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, Constantinople was conquered by the Crusader army. The dramatic siege and subsequent fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire is often seen as marking the end of the medieval period. The Byzantine Empire lasted for over a thousand years, created remarkable art and architecture and created a lasting cultural and religious legacy - even its decline and fall was to have ramifications that reached far beyond its borders. The fall of Constantinople which had been a key city on the ancient Silk Road, linking East and West led many to consider the prospect of opening up new lines of trade, sea exploration that would eventually lead to major new discoveries, new routes and new worlds...

Genres: History, Nonfiction

125 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, but would have benefited with a few maps. Real quick cause of the Crusades.

[Sinem Pamuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

An broad and easy pacing read about the general history of Byzantium, would recommend if one knows nothing on this topic and doesn’t know where to begin.

[Baljit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information and well presented for those keen on history. Not too wordy, readable. Would have been better with some maps and pictures.

[Florin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not great, not terrible.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ancient Greek city of Byzantium (Constantinople, Istanbul) founded in 667 BC was center to the Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1457 AD.
While decadence and corruption were undeniably major components of the story of the Byzantine empire, when much of Europe was in the Dark Ages Byzantium remained a major center of education and learning and was the medium through which much knowledge of the ancient Greek and Roman world was communicated to the present world.
The Western kings and nobles who traveled to the east on crusade were largely illiterate, ill-educated and ill-mannered in comparison to their Byzantine counterparts who inhabited what was, at the time, the most impressive and cosmopolitan city in Europe.

[Chelsea Hauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very easy read and really good summary of the Byzantine Empire over centuries. It is a really good book for those interested in a light overview of this particular empire in history but not necessarily those who have read any kind of history book before. It effectively focussed on the emperors, their reign, their legacies, as well as the culture and causes of major events - I certainly learnt a lot from it personally. It is also written in a very engaging and simple way, free from fancy and unnecessary academic wordiness.

[Hilmi Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say that this book is a good book for beginners on the subject of Byzantium. Concisely written without delving into too many details, the author, in my humble opinion, is able to convey to the readers the rise and fall of Eastern Roman Empire or also known commonly as the Byzantine Empire. A good starter book to read before taking a journey of further and advanced reading of the subject.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise book about the story of the Byzantium - from its rise to the fall during the reign of Mehmed II. It was rather odd that the author in this short book referenced ‘The Da Vinci Code’ three times.

[Andreea Borz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although it started promising, somewhere along the way, it lost the narrative thread and started to randomly mention events and names without explaining the context. If you want to get a better picture of Byzantium, just get another book.

[Rebecca McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

My “stars” are a reflection on me. It was a well written book. I couldn’t grasp all the different names, relationships (mothers killing sons, brothers killing brothers, etc.) & the overall behavior in that period in history.

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent short overview of the important people and events.

[Jarrod Featonby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in one day. It's changed the way I view the Dark and Middle Ages, as well as religion.

[Abdul Sallam Al Musafir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable Read.

[Geethananthini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting facts about Islamic and Christianity rules .

[Gaydon Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book for quick reference.

[So Hakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breezy overview for those casually interested in Eastern Roman Empire. Quick guide over rulers and important events such as The Great Schism, Justinian Plague, up to the Siege of Constantinople.

The writer tells the story with flair, which in turn makes certain parts of it memorable. (Especially last two chapters nearing the fall of the capital)

May be just me, but the presentation is oddly remindful of classics public domain work by e.g. Livy. There is long list of kings, some slap-dash explanation of intrigue, and when it comes to siege and warfare, a bit of dramatic effects sprinkled.

Short and easily read, but note that it covers such a time span -- 1123 years -- that many things are bound to be glossed over.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having been to the Byzantium exhibition at the Royal Academy, I realised just how little I actually know about Byzantium. So I thought I'd make a start on fixing that. However, this is a bit too much of a whistlestop tour, and doesn't do much more than give a very brief introduction to the whos and whens, without much analysis.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mercifully short, not very well-written overview of the Byzantine Empire. I got very tired of Morgan's repetitive use of "it is thought that" or "it was recorded that" or "it is known that." Yeeesh.

[Debby Zigenis-Lowery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice introduction to the Byzantine Empire. It provided a good impression of its span and general impact and inspired a hunger to learn more.