Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire - Judith Herrin

Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire

Well written and easy to read. Some interesting insights that I have not read in detailed accounts of Byzantine history.

A readable history of Byzantium

On page xiii, the author notes that a couple workers in hard hats, after having seen from her office door that she taught Byzantine history, wondered what Byzantine history was. She tried in a few minutes to explain, and they followed up by asking "why she didn't. . .write about it for them?" And, indeed, she decided to write this volume for a broader audience. Her goal in this book (Page xiv): ". . .I want you to understand how the modern western world, which developed from Europe, could not have existed had it not been shielded and inspired what happened further to the east in Byzantium."

Byzantium originated as the eastern portion of the Roman Empire, while Rome still stood as the center of the Western Empire. Over time, the Western Empire declined and fell (pace Gibbon). The book considers the evolution and development of Byzantium and the Eastern Empire from its start as a Roman bastion in the fourth century (under the Emperor Constantine, after whom the city Constantinople was named) to its final fall in 1453.

There is much material covered in this volume. It is not organized along a strictly chronological template, although there is some temporal ordering--from its foundations to the medieval era to its final demise. However, in each of these sections, there is coverage of a variety of aspects of the Eastern realm. The Foundations portion considers Greek Orthodoxy, the great churches, such as Hagia Sophia, continuing links with Rome and, after its fall, Italy, and Roman Law.

As we move toward the Medieval era, the author, Judith Herrin, points out the key role of Byzantium in protecting Europe from Islam, by standing as a bastion between Islam and Europe. Also considered is the art and religious artifacts (such as icons) of the Empire. Greek fire, a key part of Byzantium's defenses, is discussed, as are other factors such as the economy, politics, sometime internal instability as intrigues sometimes led to the replacement of one emperor by another.

Finally, the inevitable fall, as Byzantium became more and more compressed, surrounded by a new force--Turks. Finally, in 1453, the Turks with their heavy cannon, breached the walls of Byzantium and its existence as an independent state ended.

Some nice features: a list of many of the emperors and the dates of their rule (pages 354-356), a chronology of major events (pages 357-361), and fairly well drawn maps (pages 363-373).

There is, of course, so much more detail. The book is solidly written by Herrin (the words don't flow magically, but the language is accessible to most people). Her appraisal of the major role of Byzantium in western history goes into much greater depth than what I am able to mention. Each reader will have to determine how convincing her arguments are, as she strove the answer the two workers.

Not a traditional history of the Byzantine Empire - it's a series of essays on different aspects of the Byzantine Empire

This not a history of the Byzantine Empire - rather it's a series of essays on different aspects of the Byzantine Empire with an overriding defensive attitude about the derogatory way the empire has been portrayed throughout history. The idea, apparently, is to try to present the important facets or characteristics of the empire in such a way that perhaps people who would not be interested in a straight history of the subject might be challenged to read about it, and change the attitude, which still prevails to a large extent, that there wasn't much to admire or even be interested in about the late Roman Empire which was ruled from Constantinople from the fourth to the fifteenth centuries. Basically, it's a highbrow Complete Idiot's Guide to the Byzantine Empire.
That having been said, I like the strategy and I like the book. By skipping the chronological history of the empire (which at 1100 years takes a while to tell and buries anything really interesting) it picks and chooses aspects of the history, telling you why the empire was important. Whether it was Hagia Sophia, or iconoclasm, or eunuchs, or the siege of 1453, the two dozen or so things that are important are highlighted and given a chance to breathe.
My favorite (largely I think because of the music) history of Byzantium is still John Romer's TV series from about 1998, but this book adds quite a bit to it by providing if less poetic, more persuasive analysis of many issues.
For example, I never really understood before what the driving force behind iconoclasm was - Romer makes it seem just another random bizarre theological dispute - something the Byzantines were always prone to. Its advocates' motives are never really explained, and it's presented largely as the sort of tyrannical invasion on freedom of worship that we can be expected to abhore. Herrin, however, explains that it arose when the empire was sustaining repeated military defeats, and since God obviously would not allow his chosen to be defeated, there had to be some reason behind it - something the Byzantines were doing that they were being punished by God for. The emperor eventually decided that it had to be divine displeasure with the common practice of venerating or "worshiping" idols, which did admittedly have strong roots in pagan practice. From their perspective, iconoclasm made perfect sense as an attempt to get back into God's good graces. Far from a tyrannical whim, it was, from their perspective a responsible, and even a courageous act.
All in all, a good book, and a good addition to my growing library on Byzantium.

good for average reader

Good overview of this complex empire. I have only two negative comments
Eastern Orthodox and the Catholic Church are not reunited as some might think if all they did was read this text. The Turks are not as hospitable to the remaing Orthodox Christians as the author might lead you to believe. Evidence: the refusal to allow the Orthodox church to rebuilt its school/monastery for priests in Constantinople/Istabul. This building burned in the 1970s and is still not repaired due to the fact that The Turks won't allow it.

Explaining Byzantine history

In writing this book, Professor Judith Herrin set out to answer a question posed by to her by two workmen in 2002: ` What is Byzantine history?'

Those of us with some interest in Byzantine history should be grateful both to the two workmen for asking the question, and to Professor Herrin for seeking to provide a succinct answer.

Byzantine history covers a period of 1000 years (from 330 to 1453), involves 90 emperors and 125 patriarchs. Professor Herrin approached the subject by theme, rather than chronology and has provided a broad overview of the history, traditions and resources of this fascinating empire. Looking both east to Persia and west to Rome, Byzantium was shaped by both. The rise of Islam, the depredations of the Crusades and the final demise of Byzantium at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1453 saw the passing of a unique and rich empire.

Professor Herrin argues that without Byzantium there would be no Europe. On one level at least it is difficult to disagree. Fortunately, for those who want more information on the history and culture of this fascinating empire, Professor Herrin has included a bibliography

My only question: have the two workmen read the book, and did it answer their question?

Jennifer Cameron-Smith