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Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization Paperback – June 1, 2010
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For more than a millennium, Byzantium reigned as the glittering seat of Christian civilization. When Europe fell into the Dark Ages, Byzantium held fast against Muslim expansion, keeping Christianity alive. Streams of wealth flowed into Constantinople, making possible unprecedented wonders of art and architecture. And the emperors who ruled Byzantium enacted a saga of political intrigue and conquest as astonishing as anything in recorded history.
Lost to the West is replete with stories of assassination, mass mutilation and execution, sexual scheming, ruthless grasping for power, and clashing armies that soaked battlefields with the blood of slain warriors numbering in the tens of thousands.
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCrown
- Publication dateJune 1, 2010
- Dimensions5.17 x 0.7 x 7.98 inches
- ISBN-100307407969
- ISBN-13978-0307407962
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Confidently striding through time and across the mountains and plains of the Eastern Mediterranean, Brownworth puts this theocratic superstate slap-bang in the center of mankind's global story; back where it should be. The Byzantines made our world what it is today. Lars Brownworth matches their verve and brio in his seductive and gripping account.”—Bettany Hughes, PBS host and author of Helen of Troy
“This is history as it used to be, history as storytelling. In this fascinating account of the Byzantine empire, Lars Brownworth covers a thousand years of bloodletting, outrageous luxury, bitter religious disputes and vaulting ambition without giving the slightest impression of being rushed or crowded. The page turns unaided.”—Anthony Everitt, bestselling author of Augustus, Cicero and The First Emperor
“A hugely entertaining and often moving portrait of a civilization to which the modern West owes an immense but neglected debt. Read it, and you will never use the word ‘Byzantine’ as a term of abuse again.”—Thomas Holland, author of Millennium, Persian Fire and Rubicon
“Lost to the West is the sort of history I wish I’d been offered in school—a fast-paced adventure story that covers over a thousand years of political intrigue, brilliant leaders, incompetent squabblers, mayhem, butchery and religious divides, and vividly pictures a bygone era that is still a vital part of our heritage.”—Mark Pendergrast, author of Uncommon Grounds
“The Byzantines are back! Correcting centuries of neglect, Lars Brownworth guides us through a forgotten world and, with clarity and wit, brings it to vibrant life. Filled with a dazzling cast of ruthless Emperors, conniving generals and half-crazed scholars, Lost to the West is both entertaining and enlightening -- a great piece of popular history.”—Tony Perrottet, author of Pagan Holiday and The Naked Olympics
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Diocletian's Revolution
The long-suffering people of the third-century Roman Empire had the distinct misfortune to live in interesting times. For three centuries before Constantine's birth, Roman architects, engineers, and soldiers had crisscrossed the known world, bringing order and stability to the barbaric, diverse lands beyond the frontiers of Italy. In the wake of the mighty Pax Romana came more than fifty-thousand miles of arrow-straight, graded roads and towering aqueducts, impervious alike to the mountains and valleys that they spanned. These highways were the great secret of empire, providing access to markets, ease of travel, and an imperial mail system that could cover more than five hundred miles in a single day. Graceful cities sprang up along the major routes, complete with amphitheaters, public baths, and even indoor plumbing—a visible testament to the triumph of civilization. But by the third century, time had ravaged the empire's glory, and revolts had stained its streets with blood. Those impressive Roman roads that had so effectively exported the empire now became its greatest weakness as rebel armies and barbarian hordes came rushing in. No one—not even the ephemeral emperors—was safe in those uncertain times. In the first eight decades of the century, twenty-nine men sat on the imperial throne, but only one escaped murder or capture to die a natural death.
Apathy and enervation seemed to be everywhere, sapping the strength of once solid Roman foundations. The military, too busy playing kingmaker to maintain itself, fell victim like everything else to the sickness of the age. In 259, the proud Emperor Valerian led his soldiers against the Persians, and suffered one of the greatest humiliations in Roman history. Captured by the enemy, he was forced to endure the indignity of being used as a footstool by the gleeful Persian king. When the broken emperor at last expired, the Persians had him flayed, dyeing the skin a deep red color and stuffing it with hay. Hanging the gruesome trophy on a wall, they displayed it to visiting Roman ambassadors as a constant reminder of just how hollow the myth of the invincible legions had become.
Such public humiliation was galling, but Roman writers had been lamenting the decay of the national character for years. As early as the second century bc, Polybius blamed the politicians whose pandering had reduced the Republic to mob rule, Sallust railed against the viciousness of political parties, and Livy—the most celebrated writer of Rome's golden age—had written that "these days . . . we can bear neither our diseases nor their remedies."
Now, however, a more ominous note crept in. The predictions of disaster gave way to glowing panegyrics celebrating the greatness and permanence of emperors who were plainly nothing of the sort. The men on the throne seemed like shadows flitting across the imperial stage, an awful confirmation that the gods had turned their backs on humanity. Barbarian enemies were gathering like wolves on the frontiers, but the generals sent against them more often than not used their swords to clear a path to the throne. The army, once a servant of the emperor, now became his master, and dynasties rose and fell with bewildering frequency.
The chaos of nearly continuous civil war made it hard to tell who the emperor actually was, but the tax collectors came anyway, with their unceasing demands for more money. The desperate shadow emperors tried to save money by reducing the silver content of their coins, but the resulting inflation crippled the economy, and most of the empire reverted to the barter system. Terrified by the mounting uncertainty, men took refuge in mystery religions that taught that the physical world was fleeting or evil, and put their hopes in magic, astrology, and alchemy. Life was full of pain, and the more extreme refused marriage or committed suicide to escape it. The very fabric of society was coming apart, and rich and poor alike prayed for deliverance.
Salvation came, unexpectedly enough, from Dalmatia. A tough soldier named Diocletian from that backward, rugged land of craggy peaks and lush forests rose up to claim the throne. Assuming power in the usual way by assassinating his predecessor and climbing over the bodies of rival armies, Diocletian was pragmatic enough to admit what others had only dimly suspected. The empire was simply too large to be successfully governed by one man in these troubled days. Its vast territory embraced the entire Mediterranean, stretching from the damp forests of Britain in the north to the blazing deserts of Egypt in the south, from the Rock of Gibraltar in the west to the borders of Persia in the east. Even if he spent his entire life in the saddle, Diocletian couldn't possibly react quickly enough to stamp out every crisis, nor could he dispatch surrogates to fight on his behalf; recent imperial history provided too many examples of such generals using their swords to clear a path to the throne. If the wobbling empire were to be preserved at all, Diocletian needed to somehow shrink its enormous size—a task that had overwhelmed all of his immediate predecessors. Few leaders in history can have started a reign with such a daunting job, but the pragmatic Diocletian found an unorthodox solution: He raised an old drinking buddy named Maximian to the rank of senior emperor, or Augustus, and split the world in half.
It wasn't quite as revolutionary a decision as it sounded, especially because the Empire was already divided linguistically. Long before Rome had dreamed of world conquest, Alexander the Great had swept east to India, crushing all who stood against him and forging the unwieldy territories into an empire. In his footsteps had come Hellenization, and though Alexander's empire had crumbled with his death, Greek culture seeped in and took root. Rome had spread from the west like a veneer over this Hellenized world, superior in arms but awed by the older culture's sophistication. Latin was spoken in the eastern halls of power, but not in its markets or homes. In thought and character, the East remained firmly Greek.
Handing over the western areas of the empire, where Latin was the dominant language, to Maximian, Diocletian kept the richer, more cultured Greek east for himself. In theory, the empire was still one and indivisible, but each half would have a drastically different fate, and the rough line that was drawn between them still marks the divide between eastern and western Europe today. The full ramifications wouldn't become clear for another two centuries, but Diocletian had effectively divided the world into Roman and Byzantine halves.
Sharing power with another man was a dangerous game for Diocletian to play since it ran the obvious risk of creating a rival, but Maximian proved to be an extremely loyal colleague. Pleased by the success, and aware that two men were still not enough to stem the tide of invaders streaming over the frontiers, Diocletian divided power again by appointing two junior emperors (Caesars). These men were given full authority to lead armies and even issue laws, and greatly eased the burdens of administration by the senior rulers. Four men could now claim an imperial rank, and though for the moment they were remarkably efficient, only time would tell if this "tetrarchy" (rule of four) would be a team of rivals or colleagues.
Diocletian, meanwhile, was just getting warmed up. The lightened workload enabled him to carry out a thorough reorganization of the cluttered bureaucracy. Replacing the chaotic system with a clean, efficient military one, he divided the empire into twelve neat dioceses, each governed by a vicar who reported directly to his emperor.* Taxes could now be collected with greater efficiency, and the money that poured into the treasury could better equip the soldiers guarding the frontiers. With budget and borders in hand, Diocletian now turned to the monumental task of stabilizing the crown itself.
The emperor understood better than any man before him just how precarious the throne had become. Numerous revolts had made the army loyal to the personality, not the position, of the emperor, and such a situation was inherently unstable. No one man, no matter how powerful or charismatic, could keep every segment of the population happy, and the moment some vulnerability was spotted, civil war would erupt. In earlier days, the royal blood of long-lived dynasties had checked ambition, but now that any man with an army could make himself emperor, something more was needed. To break the cycle of rebellion and war, Diocletian needed to make the position of emperor respected regardless of who occupied the throne.
This was the great struggle of the ancient world. Stability was needed for an orderly succession, but often such stability could only be achieved by a tyrant, and every dictator who justified his seizure of power further undermined the principle of succession. In any case, the idea of elevating the concept of the throne flew in the face of established tradition. The last five decades had seen emperors drawn from among the army, men who went to great lengths to prove that they were just like the men they commanded. They ate with their troops, laughed at their jokes, listened to their worries, and tried their best to hold on to their loyalty. Such a common touch was necessary; without it, you could easily miss the first flickers of unhappiness that might ignite into civil war, but it also reinforced the idea that emperors were just ordinary men.
Product details
- Publisher : Crown; 1st edition (June 1, 2010)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0307407969
- ISBN-13 : 978-0307407962
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.17 x 0.7 x 7.98 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #64,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #10 in Turkey History (Books)
- #72 in Ancient Roman History (Books)
- #138 in History of Civilization & Culture
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
![Lars Brownworth](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/S/amzn-author-media-prod/m0ijjt718i0rnqa6kb3kv8b9sf._SY600_.jpg)
Lars Brownworth is an author, speaker, broadcaster, and teacher based in Maryland, USA. He created the first history podcast, "12 Byzantine Rulers", which Apple recognized as one of the 'top 50 podcasts that defined their genres'. He has written for the Wall Street Journal and been profiled in the New York Times, who likened him to some of history's great popularizers. His books include "Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire that Rescued Western Civilization", "The Normans: From Raiders to Kings", "The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings", "In Distant Lands: A Short History of the Crusades", and "The Caesars Volume 1: Julius Caesar - Roman Colossus". His books have been translated into five languages.
Lars Brownworth
http://larsbrownworth.com/
Finding History Blog:
http://larsbrownworth.com/blog/
Podcasts:
http://12byzantinerulers.com/
http://normancenturies.com/
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the story captivating, tragic, and humorous. They also appreciate the well-paced content, which is accessible to many and entertaining. Readers describe the book as a popular history that presents an interesting hypothesis. They find the narrative full of stories of assassination, mass mutilation, and execution. Overall, customers say the book is easily understandable and well-written.
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Customers find the book's content engaging, well-written, and vivid. They also say it provides an excellent general account of the Byzantine Empire. Readers also appreciate the lively writing style and lack of historical bias from the author.
"...This book tells it well with a very manageable style and unavoidably condensed events and personae...." Read more
"...history teacher, but he shows as much flair for writing popular, accessible history as many other, more highly accredited authors...." Read more
"Lars Brownworth has given us an excellent general account of the Byzantine Empire stretching from it's foundations at the permanent division of the..." Read more
"...what I think is a great accomplishment; providing a thorough and friendly review of Byzantium’s history...." Read more
Customers find the story captivating, interesting, and illuminating. They also appreciate the fine eye for sensational aspects and the interesting footnotes. Overall, readers say the book provides a good overview of the Western Roman empire from Constantine to its collapse.
"...It provides great examples of all the nuances that leadership has, and how drive, dedication, intelligence and commitment were key elements on..." Read more
"...offers a compressed overview that is both educational and highly entertaining...." Read more
"...I am very happy to have found this book and found it informative and engaging." Read more
"...Overall, a perceptive, insightful, and balanced book about an underappreciated very important part of history." Read more
Customers find the pacing of the book well-paced, lucid, and quick. They also say the book is eye-opening in many ways.
"...This is a lot of material to cover and the author does so briskly while also being careful to be thorough and accurately sourced...." Read more
"...a personality-driven approach with this book, which really makes for a good flow. In fact I couldn’t put it down...." Read more
"A fast paced and well researched book about a fascinating subject almost never taught in schools these days...." Read more
"...It is more a fast moving and engaging survey of the length and breadth of Byzantine history...." Read more
Customers find the book easily understandable, accessible, and clearly written.
"...This book is a good first step - a popular history that is accessible to many and that will hopefully ignite their imaginations." Read more
"First, the good. The book is accessible and clearly written...." Read more
"...micro level during the "Dark" ages makes sense, is fascinating, easy to follow, and most "Illuminating"...." Read more
"...By virtue of being introductory, of being highly readable and easily accessible, the book is by no means a scholarly endeavor...." Read more
Customers find the book addition a great resource that offers a good, concise look at an Empire.
"...; this book is a great resource that offers a good, concise look at an Empire that protected Western Civilization, and..." Read more
"...If you love learning about history this book would be a great addition to your library. Will be buying more copies to give to friends." Read more
"...This book is an excellent primer for someone who is unaware of the history of the Eastern Roman Empire, aka. the Byzantine Empire. A fantastic read!" Read more
"...Its a good read and goes a long way to explain the background of actions we see on the evening news." Read more
Customers are mixed about the writing style. Some find it clear, entertaining, and logical, while others say it's casual and high-schoolish. They also mention that there are a few typos and not enough depth.
"...His writing is at times a little sarcastic, but not annoyingly so. Consider that we are talking about a very brutal time in history...." Read more
"This is a clear, compelling telling of the fascinating story of the Eastern Roman Empire." Read more
"...The writing is sometimes casual and a bit "high-schoolish" (actually not surprising as the author is or was a high school history teacher)...." Read more
"The author prioritizes well and brings a lot of clarity to the task of understanding 1000 years." Read more
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Byzantine history will someday be presented in detail as the world's longest, most complicated ("byzantine'), extraordinary and all true soap opera. There are many lessons to learn from its rule, successes & failures that still apply.
This book tells it well with a very manageable style and unavoidably condensed events and personae. It is easy reading, but with informative footnotes. There is a bit of duplication here and there, but overall this is a book worth embracing and keeping in one's library thereafter.
Like all empires from Rome onward, there is a large focus in the book on the Byzantine emperors and their personalities, an unavoidable consequence of studying any autocracy where everything (at least supposedly) turns on the word of just one man. A parade of characters passes down through the long ages, some outstanding, many contemptible, and a great deal utterly mediocre. Brownsworth makes the interesting point that as long as an emperor was strong and knew how to organize the empire’s resources (with special emphasis on the broad, fertile Anatolian plain), the Byzantines flourished or, at least, held their own. This was a remarkable feat in light of the constant series of threats posed to the empire over centuries, beset from all sides, Persians, Slavs, Bulgars, Crusaders, Arabs, and worst of all and finally, the Ottoman Turks. It was only when the Byzantines were deprived of Anatolia by the Turks that the empire truly began to falter and at last fail.
The author notes that while Western Europe was plunged into illiteracy and Frankish kings lived little better than peasants, learning and luxury still flourished in Constantinople and the empire’s other great cities. He points out that for centuries the Byzantine Empire acted as a buffer for Western Europe, a bulwark between the weak, disorganized feudal realms and the rampant forces of Islam. Much learning was gained by the West from the Byzantines, especially after the fall of Constantinople when many Greek scholars fled to Italy seeking patronage from the Pope among others. This history does a valuable service in filling in a large gap in the general picture of medieval European history.
I think the most valuable thing to be gained from this book is a sense of the remarkable strength of the Byzantine polity. Located in the very cockpit of empire, prone to invasion by land and sea from all directions, attacked by powerful enemies almost from the beginning, and riven by dissension (religious and otherwise), treachery, and disloyalty, Constantinople and its empire still managed to somehow persist in a distinctly recognizable form for over a thousand years. And when the end came, the last emperor (also named Constantine) died fighting in the breached walls for his city and his people, a true medieval paladin.
I recommend this book to fans of medieval history and to anyone interested in a good account of a very strange and alien, long passed civilization and culture whose echoes still loudly sound today.
I have to say that the author did a really good job of presenting the reader with the essentials of the history of Byzantium. This book is meant to present the reader with the major periods, rulers, conflicts, religious concepts and architecture of what we know as the Eastern Roman Empire. The author certainly hits the "high points" well without burdening the general reader with lists of emperors, battles and patriarchs.
This is a book written for the general reader unacquainted with the later Roman Empire in the east and how it continued to survive and even thrive for a millennium after Rome itself "fell" and the last western emperor was removed from the throne. There's so much that the author covers from religion to military history that I was pleasantly surprised he was able to do it in an enjoyable fashion that never bored me with too many dates, battles, or emperors.
Instead, the author covers the emperors that were important and ruled during times of success or failure that changed history, religious questions that divided the empire and battles that stand out as decisive in the long-term. Having read more in-depth works on Byzantine warfare, I think the author effectively balances giving the reader enough detail while keeping a focus on the big picture.
I think the author made it an enjoyable read that kept me wanting to get to that next chapter on break or after work. This is something I value highly - not simply the knowledge to write on a subject, but also the writing ability to make that knowledge readable for the buyer. Even though I have already read other works about the Byzantine Empire, I enjoyed this work and learned more than I thought I would. This is a five-star book that I recommend to anyone interested in the other Roman Empire.
As radical ideas splitting western values and illegal immigrants flooding great cities of the western, isn't the fall of Byzantine the lessons we the west must learn from?
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One day I will make it to see the great church for myself.
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