History of the Byzantine Empire: Vol. 1, 324-1453

By Alexander Vasiliev

Book Overview

"This is the revised English translation from the original work in Russian of the history of the Great Byzantine Empire. It is the most complete and thorough work on this subject. From it we get a wonderful panorama of the events and developments of the struggles of early Christianity, both western and eastern, with all of its remains of the wonderful productions of art, architecture, and learning."-- Southwestern Journal of Theology

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0299809250
• ISBN13: 9780299809256
• Release Date: April 1958
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
• Length: 382 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Classic reference on Byzantine history

This two volume set is a well-written, succinct, scholarly, and engaging history of the Byzantine Empire from the time of Constantine right up through the final conquest of Constantinople in AD 1453. I was assigned both volumes as a text in a Byzantine History class in college and I must give Vasiliev at least partial credit for awakening in me an intense interest in all things Byzantine. As one of the top Byzantine scholars of the 20th century, Vasiliev wrote with a command of the facts and theories that was a match for any of the scholars of his day. Indeed, his knowledge base tended to be wider than most Western scholars due to his access to sources in Russian and Slavonic that were often unavailable or unutilized outside of Russia. Though originally published in 1958, this set remains a benchmark. Vasiliev retains a scholarly objectivity throughout the work, with perhaps only a slight trace of bias in favor of the Slavs. This is in stark contrast to many of the more recent treatments of Byzantine history which have an annoying tendency to impose marxist, relativistic judgments on the Byzantines while just as often exculpating their Islamic antagonists. Vasiliev does none of this. His passionate interest in his subject matter is also very obvious. Overall, even after nearly 50 years, there is no work currently on the market which is better suited as a core text for a course in Byzantine history. The set would also make a fine supplement to a general course on Medieval European history.

"Born to the Purple..."

This 2 volume -History of the Byzantine Empire- is the best detailed, readable, and multi-faceted presentation that one is likely to find. The periods in each chapter are well-focused, annotated with scholarly notes, and divided into segments with very helpful subtitles. The first volume of the set (ISBN: 0299809250), after Chap. 1 which is titled "The Study of Byzantine History," proceeds with Chap. 2, "The Empire from the Time of Constantine the Great to Justinian"; Chap. 3 is "Justinian the Great and His Successors (518-610)"; Chap. 4, "The Heraclian Epoch (610-717)"; Chap. 5, "The Iconoclastic Epoch (717-867)"; and Chap. 6, "The Macedonian Epoch (667-1081)." Volume 2 (ISBN: 0299809269)has Chap. 7, "Byzantium and the Crusades"; Chap. 8, The Empire of Nicaea (1204-1261)"; and Chap. 9, "The Fall of Byzantium." There is also an Appendix with an "Emperors of the Byzantine Empire" chronology and "Genealogical Tables of the Byzantine Dynasties." As the concluding section of each of the historical chapters, there is an excellent section on the "Learning, Literature, and Art" during that particular era. All of the famous and secondary figures of Byzantine History can be found in this useful set. Here is an excerpt from the "Literature..." section of Chapter 1, Vol. 1 -- "Another extremely interesting figure of this epoch is the woman philosopher, Hypatia, who was killed by the fanatical mob of Alexandria some time in the early part of the fifth century. She was a woman of exceptional beauty and unusual intellectual attainments. Through her father, a famous Alexandrian mathematician, she became acquainted with the mathematical sciences and classical philosophy. She gained wide fame through her remarkable activities as a teacher. * * * One source told how, 'clothed in a mantle, she used to wander about the city [of Alexandria, Egypt] and expound to willing listeners the works of Plato, Aristotle, or some other philosopher.'" One of my favorite people discussed at length in the work is Michael Acominatus, the very Idealistic lover of Hellenic culture, who was appointed Archbishop to Athens and served for a period of 30 years. -- Robert Kilgore