First published 1992
John Julius Norwich examines the Byzantine Empire during its period of greatest power and influence. This second volume of his trilogy focuses on the empire's golden age, when Constantinople stood as the most magnificent city in the medieval world. Norwich traces the reigns of the military emperors who expanded Byzantine territories and the cultural flowering that accompanied political success. He explores the complex relationship between church and state, the empire's role as guardian of classical learning, and its position as a bridge between East and West. The author draws on Byzantine chronicles, archaeological evidence, and diplomatic records to reconstruct this pivotal era. Norwich shows how the empire reached its territorial and cultural peak before the forces that would lead to its eventual decline began to emerge. The book reveals how Byzantine civilization influenced everything from art and architecture to law and theology across the medieval world.
Genres: biography, history, art-history, ancient-history, academic, cultural-studies
Vibes: atmospheric, informative, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction
Setting: Constantinople, Byzantine Empire
Period: Medieval
428 pages · Hardcover · Knopf