Early Medieval Byzantium and the End of the Ancient World

Abstract

To talk of the Roman empire after 600 as Byzantine carries the implication that something fundamental had changed. Clearly the empire was much smaller, but was it also distinct as a social system? Did the Roman aristocracy adapt and survive in the seventh and eighth centuries, or did a new elite emerge? Did those farming the empire's fields notice any difference? A combination of familiar texts and material evidence from archaeology supports a case for this as a period of radical change, but any conclusions are bound to be provisional as long as the archaeology of this period remains a low priority.

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