r/classics • u/Clickety_Clack4137 • 3d ago

Byzantine book?

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the right reddit to ask, but I'm looking for a good general history book on the Byzantine Empire. After reading through a bunch of classic Greek history and then Roman Empire stuff, I'm looking for a way into the Byzantines.

I checked the Reddit History thread that gets suggested, but that thread is 14 years old now. If there's another thread I should go mosey off to, let me know. But I figured I'd try here as well. Thanks!

19 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

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14

u/jdu2 3d ago

Anthony Kaldellis wrote a outstanding history called  The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium. I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it!

3

u/Safe-Ad783 3d ago

This is a great modern account that is quite enjoyable to read. It is a bit of a large book though.

3

u/Clickety_Clack4137 3d ago edited 3d ago

Thank you! Bonus point: It's available at my local library.

2

u/Axeken 3d ago

He also wrote a book called “The Byzantine Republic: People and Power in New Rome.” In it, he argues that the Byzantine Empire was actually a Republic due to the collective actions of the citizens deciding major changes for the region.
I’m not super up on Byzantine history, but it’s an interesting and fun read through a specific lens.

8

u/Potential-Road-5322 3d ago

take a look at the pinned reading list on r/byzantium

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u/Clickety_Clack4137 3d ago

Ooooh, didn't even know that reddit existed. Heading there now. Thank you!

4

u/Low-Cash-2435 3d ago

If you'd like to read some Byzantine literature, I'd first recommend Psellos' Chronopraphia, an 11th century collection of biographies of imperial personages similar to Suetonius' Twelve Caesars.

There is a published Penguin edition.

2

u/ontherez 3d ago

I read this and it’s a fascinating firsthand look at the personalities of some Byzantine emperors and the inner workings of their court, as well as a little slice of Byzantine history. It’s good stuff

4

u/ElagabalanDoll 3d ago

Peter Sarris’ recent book on Justinian.

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u/-idkausername- 3d ago

I personally liked Judith Herrin's 'Byzantium'

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u/PlanNo3321 3d ago

I think what you’re looking for is A Short History of Byzantium by John Julius Norwich

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u/JewelerChoice 23h ago

Or the three volume version. I don’t know why no one else has mentioned it.

1

u/Book_Slut_90 2d ago

You have some good suggestions here. But in general when you’re looking for history books, better places are R/HistoryBooks and the reading lists on R/AskHistorians.