ken meece's Bookmarks tagged byzantine →  View Popular

Unfortunately good books on Byzantine history are few and far between. There are several good general
histories: History of the Byzantine Empire Vol 1-2 by Alexander Vasiliev; History of the Byzantine State
by Georgije Ostrogorski; The massive A History of the Byzantine State and Society (tends to be a bit
dry, but very informative- focuses on economic issues); but by far my favorite- the most accessible, and
interesting account is John Julius Norwich's 3 volume Byzantium. Its also published as an abridged
single volume. The single volume is good, but the 3 volumes are definately worth it! You are more likely
to get a good book on certain periods of Byzantine history- For the 1st Crusade time period, for example,
check out Steven Runciman's History of the First Crusade - my favorite author.

Gibbon's Decline and Fall has often been heralded as the "most significant history ever written in the
English language", and there is an elegance and scope to him that is immensely rewarding. It is also monumental -
the unabridged version is well over 3,000 pages - historians simply don't write on this scale any more. As a
scholar, Gibbon is above reproach. He wrote before there was a science of archaeology, and yet his careful
attention to detail and use of primary sources wherever available remain remarkably accurate.



For all his attentiveness, however, Gibbon was very much a child of the Enlightenment - and as such took a rather
dim view of religion. He viewed Christianity in particular as a dark, corrupting religion, the bitter enemy of
progress and free-thinking, and a major contributor to the fall of the Western Empire. This inevitably colored his
view of Byzantine history, and led him to dismiss the empire as a "degenerate race of princes" mired in constant
intrigue and corruption. This is not to say, however, that Gibbon is not a worthwhile source. Once you are aware
of this bias (it is most explicitly apparent in volume 2 and 3 which deal with the Byzantines), the work becomes
much more rewarding. As you read, keep in mind that his general position on Rome and Byzantium was that the empire
reached its peak during the reign of the Antonines, and then declined - a rather simplistic position that can be
seriously challenged in any number of areas. Other more modern works are better balanced - certainly Runciman or
Norwich are more accessible, but Gibbon remains a colossus. Vast, expensive, time consuming, and needing to be
carefully considered - but indisputably one of the worlds great works.