Readings in Late Antiquity: A Sourcebook

Book Details

• Author: Maas, Michael

• Brand: Routledge

• Edition: 2nd Edition

• Binding: Paperback

• Number of Pages: 437

• Release Date: 02-02-2010

• EAN: 9780415473378

• Package Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches

• Languages: English

About The Book
Readings in Late Antiquity by Michael Maas is a comprehensive sourcebook that brings to life the dramatic political, social, and religious transformations that defined the period of Late Antiquity (ca. 250-650). This era saw the decline of the Roman Empire in Western Europe, the rise of new "Germanic" kingdoms, the emergence of Byzantium in the East, the peak and collapse of the Persian Empire, and the reshaping of the political landscape by the Arab expansion under Islam.

The book provides a detailed view of Late Antiquity through the words of those who lived through it, with selections from a variety of ancient sources in Greek, Latin, Syriac, Hebrew, Coptic, Persian, Arabic, and Armenian. These passages offer unique insights into the lives of emperors, aristocrats, saints, slaves, children, and more, across various regions and cultures. The Roman Empire remains central to the discussion, covering its government, cities, military, law, medicine, domestic life, and religious changes, including the shift from polytheism to Christianity.

This revised and updated second edition includes a new chapter on domestic life, along with additional material and passages, many of which appear for the first time in English translation. Readings in Late Antiquity is the only sourcebook that covers such a wide array of topics across the entire Late Antique period, making it an invaluable resource for students and scholars of this transformative era in history.