Stephen Mitchell is emeritus professor of the University of Exeter and a Fellow of the British Academy. His most recent book covers the history of Christianity in Asia Minor. Geoffrey Greatrex is professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada. His recent research includes a major commentary on the historian Procopius and numerous studies of the reign of Justinian.

• ContentsList of IllustrationsxiList of MapsxiiiList of DiagramsxivList of AbbreviationsxvPreface to the First EditionxviiiPreface to the Second EditionxxPreface to the Third Editionxxii1 An Introduction to Late Roman History 1The Later Roman Empire, Late Antiquity, and the Contemporary World 4The Third Century 11Change and Development 132 The Nature of the Evidence 18The Problem of Christian Sources 19Hagiography 20Chronicles 21Eastern Sources 22Panegyrics 23The Secular Historians 26The Church Historians 37The Legal and Administrative Sources 39Letter Collections 43Inscriptions and Papyri 43The Material World 453 The Roman Empire from Diocletian to Alaric 57Prelude 57A Military Monarchy 284–395: Overview 61The Age of Diocletian and Constantine 64The Emergence of Constantine 70The Successors of Constantine 78Julian 81Valentinian and Valens 86A Changing World 88Theodosius I 91Stilicho and Alaric 95The Goths in Constantinople 1004 The Roman Empire of the Fifth and Sixth Centuries 108Preface 109The Reign of Theodosius II 111The Western Empire and the Barbarians, 411–55 116Marcian and Leo 120The Fall of the Western Empire 122Zeno and Odoacar 124Anastasius 126The War with Persia 129Justin 130Justinian: The Years of Ambition 131War on the Eastern Front 137The Nika Riot 139The Reconquest of the West: Africa 145The Invasion of Italy 1475 The Roman State 160The Anatomy of the Empire 160Propaganda and Ideology 161Military Security 170Taxes and the Army 174Ruling the Empire 178Social and Cultural Transformations 1856 The Barbarian Kingdoms 198The Origins of the Germanic Kingdoms of the West 198The Huns 204The Germanic Kingdoms of Western Europe in the Fifth Century 209The Visigoths 210The Burgundians 214The Franks 216Ostrogothic Italy 2207 From Pagan to Christian 232Approaching Religious Transformations in Late Antiquity 232Religious Pluralism in Late Antiquity 236Christian Diversity 240Christianity and the State: Outlawry and Tolerance 2458 Conversion to Christianity and the Politics of Religious Identity 265Three Conversions and Their Consequences 265Constantine 266Julian 273Augustine 277Politics and Christianity 280Monks and Holy Men 285Religious Identities 287The “Arian” Dispute 292The Council of Chalcedon and the Emergence of Miaphysitism 2999 The Political Economy of the Later Roman Empire 313The Economic Structure of the Later Empire 313The Monetary System and Taxation 317Rome 319Constantinople 324Alexandria 330Carthage 333Antioch 33410 Society and Economy in the Mediterranean and the Near East 343The Eastern Empire 344The Near East 344Asia Minor 350The Eastern Frontier Zones 356Egypt 360The Western Empire 365Africa 365Gaul 369Italy 376The Danube Region and the Balkans 378Conclusions 38211 The Challenges of the Later Sixth Century 392The Bubonic Plague and Other Natural Catastrophes 393Setbacks and Recovery in the Mid-Sixth Century 399The Challenge of the Sasanians 408The Renewal of Hostilities Between Rome and Persia 41112 The Last Great War of Antiquity 426The Northern Barbarians in the Sixth Century: Avars, Slavs, and Lombards 427The Fall of Maurice 431The Final Showdown with Persia 433Religious Transformations 43913 Arabia, Islam, and the Eclipse of the Old Order 446The Arabian Peninsula in Late Antiquity 447Apocalyptic Expectations 452The Coming of Islam 454Muhammad’s Teaching and Followers 456The First Arab Conquests 458The Fall of an Empire 461Why Did the Arabs Prevail? 46214 The Survival of the Eastern Empire 470The Roman Reaction 471The Year of Four Emperors 471Politics and Theology 473The Reign of Constans II: Stabilizing the Empire (641–55) 474Changes in the Roman Army 477The New Masters and the Conquered Lands 478The Roman Empire on the Defensive 482Withdrawal to the West 482The Stabilization of the Eastern Frontier 484Conclusion: The Dawn of a New Age? 489The Evolution of the Roman State 49115 The Fall of the Roman Empire 499One or Two Empires? 500Taxation and Diminishing State Revenue 503The Loss of Military Capacity 507Environmental Change in Late Antiquity 511Demographic Regression and Plague in Late Antiquity 513The Afterlife of Ancient Rome 525Bibliography 532Chronological List of Emperors and Other Rulers 557Index 559