This book introduces the Age of Justinian, which was both the last Roman century and the first flowering of Byzantine culture. Dominated by the policies and personality of emperor Justinian I (r. 527-565), this period of grand achievements and far-reaching failures witnessed the transformation of the Mediterranean world. In this volume, twenty specialists explore the most important aspects of the age, including warfare, urbanism, economy, and the mechanics and theory of empire. They also discuss the impact of the great plague, the codification of Roman law, and the religious controversies of the day. Consideration is given to imperial relations with the papacy, northern bar-barians, the Persians, and other eastern peoples, shedding new light on a dramatic and highly significant historical period.

Content - List of Illustrations and Maps,  Contributors,  Abbreviations, Acknowledgments, Select List of Ancient Sources, Chronology, PART 1 : STRUCTURES AND IDEOLOGIES OF EMPIRE, PART 2 : RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY,  PART 3 :  LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, PART 4 :  PEOPLES AND COMMUNITIES, Bibliography, Index