A. D. Lee - Böcker

During late antiquity the Roman empire faced serious threats from the peoples to the east and to the north. This book is concerned with the role played by information and intelligence in the empire's relations with these peoples, how well-informed about them the empire was, and how such information was acquired. It deals with an important facet of late Roman history which has not previously received systematic treatment, and does so in a wide-ranging manner which relates the military/diplomatic history to its broader social/cultural and economic context.

During late antiquity the Roman empire faced serious threats from the peoples to the east and to the north. This book is concerned with the role played by information and intelligence in the empire's relations with these peoples, how well-informed about them the empire was, and how such information was acquired. It deals with an important facet of late Roman history which has not previously received systematic treatment, and does so in a wide-ranging manner which relates the military/diplomatic history to its broader social/cultural and economic context.

The final dramatic centuries of Roman historyBetween the deaths of the Emperors Julian (363) and Justinian (565), the Roman Empire underwent momentous changes.  Most obviously, control of the west was lost to barbarian groups during the fifth century, and although parts were recovered by Justinian, the empire's centre of gravity shifted irrevocably to the east, with its focal point now the city of Constantinople.  Equally important was the increasing dominance of Christianity not only in religious life, but also in politics, society and culture.  Doug Lee charts these and other significant developments which contributed to the transformation of ancient Rome and its empire into Byzantium and the early medieval west.  By emphasising the resilience of the east during late antiquity and the continuing vitality of urban life and the economy, this volume offers an alternative perspective to the traditional paradigm of decline and fall.Key features:• Provides a clear analytical narrative of pivotal political, military, and religious developments• Complements this with an examination of overarching trends in urban life and the economy• Gives particular attention to the dynamics of political and religious power and of Roman-barbarian relations during the fifth centuryKeywords: Late Antiquity, Late Roman Empire, Fall of the Empire, Early Byzantine Empire, barbarians, Goths, vandals, Theodosius, Justinian

Warfare was a recurrent phenomenon of fundamental importance throughout Roman history. Its scale and form varied across time and place, but it had wide-ranging impacts on politics, society and economy. This book focuses on important themes in the interplay between warfare and these broader contexts, including attitudes to war and peace, the values associated with military service, the role of material resources, military mutiny and civil war, and social and cultural aspects of the military. It also examines experiences of warfare, focusing on approaches to Roman battle and the impact of war on civilians. Importantly and distinctively, these different themes are traced across a millennium of Roman history from the Republic through to the end of Late Antiquity in the early seventh century, with a view to highlighting important continuities and changes across Roman history, and alerting readers to valuable but often less familiar material from the empire's final centuries.

Warfare was a recurrent phenomenon of fundamental importance throughout Roman history. Its scale and form varied across time and place, but it had wide-ranging impacts on politics, society and economy. This book focuses on important themes in the interplay between warfare and these broader contexts, including attitudes to war and peace, the values associated with military service, the role of material resources, military mutiny and civil war, and social and cultural aspects of the military. It also examines experiences of warfare, focusing on approaches to Roman battle and the impact of war on civilians. Importantly and distinctively, these different themes are traced across a millennium of Roman history from the Republic through to the end of Late Antiquity in the early seventh century, with a view to highlighting important continuities and changes across Roman history, and alerting readers to valuable but often less familiar material from the empire's final centuries.

In Pagans and Christians in Late Antiquity, A.D. Lee documents the transformation of the religious landscape of the Roman world from one of enormous diversity of religious practices and creeds in the 3rd century to a situation where, by the 6th century, Christianity had become the dominant religious force. Using translated extracts from contemporary sources he examines the fortunes of pagans and Christians from the upheavals of the 3rd Century, through the dramatic events associated with the emperors Constantine, Julian and Theodosius in the 4th, to the increasingly tumultuous times of the 5th and 6th centuries, while also illustrating important themes in late antique Christianity such as the growth of monasticism, the emerging power of bishops and the development of pilgrimage, as well as the fate of other significant religious groups including Jews and Manichaeans.This new edition has been updated to include: additional documentary material, including newly published papyri an expanded chapter on the emperor Constantine greater attention to church controversies in the fourth and fifth centuries thoroughly updated references and further reading, taking into account developments in modern scholarship during the past fifteen years.Pagans and Christians in Late Antiquity is an invaluable resource for students of the late antique world, and of early Christianity and the early Church.