Lost to the West (45 page)

330–600

The following two books have been of invaluable service in researching the conversion of Constantine the Great (especially Eusebius’s account found in Maas), as well as theology, everyday life, and imperial edicts from the fourth century until the Muslim invasions of the seventh.

Lactantius.
De Mortibus Persecutorum
, J. L. Creed, ed. & trans. Oxford: Clarendon, 1984.

Maas, Michael.
Readings in Late Antiquity.
London: Routledge, 2003.

For the reign of Julian the Apostate I drew heavily on his principal biographer:

Ammianus Marcellinus.
The Later Roman Empire (A.D. 354–378)
, W. Hamilton, ed. & trans. New York: Penguin Classics, 1986.

as well as:

Wright, Wilmer C.
Julian:
Volume III. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003.

The latter is a collection of letters and polemics that the emperor wrote throughout his public life, from first donning his armor in Gaul to leaving for his ill-fated Persian campaign in 363.

Procopius was of immense assistance in researching the reign of Justinian, both the official “Buildings” and “Wars” and of course the scandalous “Secret History.”

Procopius.
Buildings.
H. B. Dewing, ed. & trans. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2002.

Procopius.
History of the Wars: The Persian War Books 1 & 2.
H. B. Dewing, ed. & trans. New York: Cosimo Classics, 2007.

Procopius.
History of the Wars: The Vandalic War Books 3 & 4.
H. B. Dewing, ed. & trans. New York: Cosimo Classics, 2007.

Procopius.
The Secret History.
G. A. Williamson, ed. & trans. London: Penguin Classics, 1966.

600–1000

This time period covers the Byzantine “dark ages” where literary sources become somewhat scarce. Fortunately the “Chronicle of Theophanes” sheds some much-needed light. This work by a ninth-century monk describes the rise of Heraclius and the empire’s struggle for survival amid religious dissension and external attack. The two major epochs of the period—the Iconoclastic controversy and the rise of the Macedonian dynasty—are detailed in Alice-Mary Talbot’s wonderful translations of
Leo the Deacon
and
Eight Saints’ Lives.

Talbot, Alice-Mary.
Byzantine Defenders of Images: Eight Saints’ Lives in English Translation.
Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, 1998.

Talbot, Alice-Mary.
The History of Leo the Deacon: Byzantine Military Expansion in the Tenth Century.
Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, 2005.

Turtledove, Harry.
The Chronicle of Theophanes.
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1982.

1000–1453

For the period from the First to the Fourth Crusades, I have depended on the lively eyewitness accounts provided by Anna Comnena, John Kinnamos, Michael Psellus, and Niketas Choniates for the Eastern perspective, and on Joinville and Villehardouin for the Western.

Choniates, Niketas.
O City of Byzantium: Annals of Niketas Choniates.
Trans. Harry J. Magoulias. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1986.

Comnena, Anna.
The Alexiad.
London: Penguin Classics, 1969.

Kinnamos, John.
Deeds of John and Manuel Comnenus.
C. M. Brand, ed. & trans. New York: Columbia University Press, 1976.

Psellus, Michael.
Fourteen Byzantine Rulers.
London: Penguin Classics, 1966.

Shaw, M. R. B.
Joinville and Villehardouin: Chronicles of the Crusades.
New York: Penguin, 1963.

S
ECONDARY
S
OURCES

The secondary sources that have been most helpful can be broken down into two groups—those that are overviews of Byzantine history and those that deal with specific periods. In the former category I have made most use of Warren Treadgold’s exhaustive history and Lord Norwich’s three-volume set. Timothy Gregory’s work has also been important, and, of course, Edward Gibbon—though with a certain amount of salt. In the latter category, for the period of the Crusades, I was assisted by Jonathan Harris’s work, and for the early Macedonian Dynasty by the great Steven Runciman. In detailing the final moments of the empire I am indebted to Roger Crowley and especially Donald Nicol for his excellent study on Constantine Dragases.

Crowley, Roger.
1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West.
New York: Hyperion, 2005.

Gibbon, Edward.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
6 vols. New York: Random House, 1993.

Gregory, Timothy E.
A History of Byzantium.
Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005.

Harris, Jonathan.
Byzantium and the Crusades.
London: Hambledon Continuum, 2006.

Nicol, Donald M.
The Immortal Emperor.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Norwich, John Julius.
Byzantium: The Apogee.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004.

Norwich, John Julius.
Byzantium: The Decline and Fall.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003.

Norwich, John Julius.
Byzantium: The Early Centuries.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.

Runciman, Steven.
The Emperor Romanus Lecapenus and His Reign.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1929.

Treadgold, Warren.
A History of the Byzantine State and Society.
California: Stanford University Press, 1997.

Appendix
EMPERORS OF CONSTANTINOPLE

CONSTANTINIAN DYNASTY (324-363)

324—353......Constantine the Great

353—361......Constantius..........
Son of Constantine the Great

361—363......Julian the Apostate..........
Cousin of Constantius

NON-DYNASTIC

363—364......Jovian..........
Soldier, chosen on the battlefield

364—378......Valens..........
Brother of Western Emperor Valentinian

THEODOSIAN DYNASTY (379-457)

379—395......Theodosius I the Great..........
Soldier, chosen by Western Emperor Gratian

395—408......Arcadius..........
Son of Theodosius

408—450......Theodosius II..........
Son of Arcadius

450—457......Marcian..........
Married Theodosius II’s sister

LEONID DYNASTY (457-518)

457—474......Leo I the Thracian..........
Soldier, chosen by Eastern general Aspar

474......Leo II..........
Grandson of Leo I

474—475......Zeno..........
Son-in-law of Leo I

475—476......Basiliscus..........
Usurper, brother-in-law of Leo I

476—491......Zeno (again)

491—518......Anastasius I..........
Son-in-law of Leo I

JUSTINIAN DYNASTY (527-602)

518—527......Justin I..........
Commander of the Palace Guard

527—565......Justinian I the Great..........
Nephew of Justin I

565—578......Justin II..........
Nephew of Justinian

578—582......Tiberius II ....
Adopted by Justin II

582—602......Maurice..........
Son-in-law of Tiberius II

NON-DYNASTIC

602—610......Phocas..........
Usurper, soldier of Maurice

HERACLIUS DYNASTY (610-711)

610—641......Heraclius..........
Usurper, general from Carthage

641......Constantine III..........
Son of Heraclius Son of Heraclius Son of Constantine III

641......Heraclonas..........

641—668......Constans II the Bearded..........

668—685......Constantine IV..........
Son of Constans II

685—695......Justinian II the Slit-Nosed...
Son of Constantine IV

695—698......Leontius..........
Usurper, soldier of Justinian II

698—705....Tiberius III ....
Usurper, Germanic naval officer of Leontius

705—711......Justinian 11 (again)

NON-DYNASTIC

711—713......Philippicus..........
Usurper, Armenian soldier of Justinian II

713—715......Anastasius II..........
Usurper, imperial secretary of Philippicus

715—717......Theodosius III..........
Usurper, tax collector and son (?) of Tiberius III

ISAURIAN DYNASTY (717-802)

717—741......Leo III the Isaurian..........
Usurper, Syrian diplomat of Justinian II

741—775......Constantine V the Dung-Named..........
Son of Leo III

775—780......Leo IV the Khazar..........
Son-in-law of Leo III

780—797......Constantine VI the Blinded..........
Son of Leo IV

797—802......Irene the Athenian..........
Wife of Leo IV, mother of Constantine VI

NICEPHORUS DYNASTY (802-813)

802—811......Nicephorus I..........
Usurper, finance minister of Irene

811......Stauracius..........
Son of Nicephorus I

811—813 ....Michael I Rangabe..........
Son-in-law of Nicephorus I

NON-DYNASTIC

813—820......Leo V the Armenian..........
Patrician and general of Michael I

AMORIAN DYNASTY (820-867)

820—829......Michael II the Stammerer............
Son-in-law of Constantine VI

829—842......Theophilus..........
Son of Michael II

842—855......Theodora..........
Wife of Theophilus

842—867......Michael III the Drunkard ...
Son of Theophilus

MACEDONIAN DYNASTY (867-1056)

867—886......Basil I the Macedonian..........
Armenian peasant, married Michael III’s widow

886—912......Leo VI the Wise..........
Son of Basil I or Michael III

912—913......Alexander..........
Son of Basil I