Byzantium

The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire

By: Judith Herrin

Narrated by: Phyllida Nash

A classic book now available on audio

With narration by Phyllida Nash, who gives a captivating account of the legendary empire that made the modern Western world possible

Byzantium. The name evokes grandeur and exoticism—gold, cunning, and complexity. In this unique book, Judith Herrin unveils the riches of a quite different civilization. Avoiding a standard chronological account of the Byzantine Empire's millennium-long history, she identifies the fundamental questions about Byzantium—what it was, and what special significance it holds for us today.

Bringing the latest scholarship to a general audience in accessible prose, Herrin focuses each short chapter around a representative theme, event, monument, or historical figure, and examines it within the full sweep of Byzantine history—from the foundation of Constantinople, the magnificent capital city built by Constantine the Great, to its capture by the Ottoman Turks.

She argues that Byzantium's crucial role as the eastern defender of Christendom against Muslim expansion during the early Middle Ages made Europe—and the modern Western world—possible. Herrin captivates us with her discussions of all facets of Byzantine culture and society. She walks us through the complex ceremonies of the imperial court. She describes the transcendent beauty and power of the church of Hagia Sophia, as well as chariot races, monastic spirituality, diplomacy, and literature. She reveals the fascinating worlds of military usurpers and ascetics, eunuchs and courtesans, and artisans who fashioned the silks, icons, ivories, and mosaics so readily associated with Byzantine art.

An innovative history written by one of our foremost scholars, Byzantium reveals this great civilization's rise to military and cultural supremacy, its spectacular destruction by the Fourth Crusade, and its revival and final conquest in 1453.

©2022 Judith Herrin (P)2022 Princeton University Press

Critic reviews

"Judith Herrin, Winner of the 2016 Dr A.H. Heineken Prize, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences"

"The scope and shape of Herrin's survey of Byzantine history and culture are impressive. She moves from the foundation of Constantinople to its fall before the Turks in a series of twenty-eight short chapters. This allows the curious or impatient reader to sample, according to taste, such delectable topics as Greek fire, eunuchs, icons, and the Towers of Trebizond . . ."—G.W. Bowersock, New York Review of Books

"The book is comprehensive, but the paragraphs are never dense and the prose retains throughout a lively quality."—J.W. Nesbitt, Choice

"The big, standard histories contain a wearying succession of emperors, patriarchs, battles, and sieges...At the other end of the scale there are lightweight travelogues, or books that pick out the juiciest moments (such as the final siege of 1453), leaving aside many things that are more important but less conducive to a good story. Judith Herrin has tried to find a middle ground between those two extremes, and has succeeded in a rather original way. Her book is a necklace of short chapters, each on a different topic, strung out in broadly chronological order. Some are devoted to places (Ravenna, Mount Athos and, of course, Constantinople itself); some are about people (Anna Comnena, Saints Cyril and Methodius, and the unforgettably named Basil the Bulgar-Slayer); and some are on general subjects, whether large (Greek Orthodoxy, the Byzantine economy, the Crusades) or small ('Greek Fire', and eunuchs)."—Noel Malcolm, The Daily Telegraph

Great Overview For General Readers

Showing Dr. Herrin's deep knowledge of and enthusiasm for Byzantine Civilization comes through on nearly every page. The leader brings just the right tone to the work. Designed for those with limited knowledge of Byzantine Civilization, it chooses to focus on key topics and figures. At the same time, there is plenty here that will be new to even someone with a good historical background as well as to make each reader want to know more about Byzantine history and maybe someday visit the remains of this fascinating and influential Civilization.

Learning about the empire

Learning about the Roman empire sit in the medieval days Was a good read. Can’t wait to learn more.

Not a comprehensible history

More like a series of disjointed “fun facts”, not so much a historic overview. Couldn’t finish it.