History of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. 1: Volume 1

Extremely well written, this book travels methodically through the later portion of the Roman Empire. This book provides an interesting read to anyone interested in the history and events of the time or the scholar looking to beef up on facts.

History of the Later Roman Empire, is an interesting read for those who want to know more about the Eastern Roman Empire. Justinian I was considered the last real Roman emperor. The empire was slowly becoming Greek in nature and less Latin. The writer goes into great detail during this era. Using maps and battle diagrams to illustrate, J.B. Bury also references older books (I like Secret History) and many Greek records and documents. For an older book it's a good reference and a fascinating read. If you want to learn more about a rarely talked about period of western civilization or what happened to the Roman Empire this is a good start, Highly recommended.

J.B. Bury was an historian of note in the early part of the twentieth century.  Educated at Irish universities, he ended up as a professor at Cambridge.  He did much to expand the historical horizons of students and scholars in the English-speaking world, whose focus had narrowed into distinctly Western emphases.  This volume on the Late Roman Empire is one such work - not content to explore the Roman Empire as centred wholly upon Rome (or, as was often the case with British historians, a Rome-Canterbury axis), his interest in the histories further afield is evident by his concentration on `barbarian'/Germanic influences, Eastern Roman Empire and Byzantine events, and courses of history outside of those that led in a linear fashion to the modern British nation.    Quite often, histories written in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries suffer from several deficiencies, the bias described above being but one of them.  Lack of reference to archaeological and documentary evidence (some of which was not available) is often the case, and a cultural influence perhaps described as `Christendom-centric' is usually evident, if not blatantly then at least in implied and undergirding assumption.  Obviously, Bury's text cannot benefit from the archaeological and methodological developments of the twentieth century, but it does stand the test of time fairly well in terms of being broader in approach, less judgemental in analysis, and fairly close in using original source material and primary documents whenever possible.   One of the comments that Bury makes regarding the times of the Late Roman Empire (which he dates from the death of Theodosius I in 395 to the death of Justinian in 565) still rings true today - we often know far more about the events and details of life in Egypt of the Pharoahs thousands of years prior than we do about the events, or even the leading figures, of the time sometimes referred to as the beginning of the Dark Ages (Bury himself rarely uses this term in the text as part of his own descriptions).    His selection of Theodosius and Justinian look to periods of unification in the general trend of disintegration of traditional Roman authority.  The centre of power had already shifted during the period of Diocletian and Constantine away from the actual city of Rome; Theodosius I was emperor of both East and West prior to his death in 395, and Justinian was the last of the emperors of the East to have any hegemony or real authority in the West (the official line of Western emperors ended with Julius Nepos and Romulus Augustulus nearly a hundred years before the time of Justinian).    Some of Bury's insights into the period dispel typical notions of the pattern of history - Bury points out that most of the so-called pagan invaders were in fact neither pagan nor invaders.  The Germanic `barbarians' were less waves of invaders, as often popularly thought, but more of the nature of longer-term settlers, who over time shifting the de

Volume one of Bury's in-depth work handles the vicissitudes of the later Empire, beginning with the end of Theodosius the Great's reign in A.D. 395 until Theoderic's artful subjugation of Italy in A.D. 493. Detailed civil, administrative, topographical, and military analysis' underlay a significant portion at the start of this work; and they provide important information concerning the Empire's indelible shift and mutual balance of power between the two great cities, Rome and Constantinople. Bury concentrates on the barbarian tribes that eventually made claims to independent sovreignty within, and on the fringes, of Imperial territory; and also on the emperors who ignominously ceeded it to them. Bury also delves on the theological disputes, Church and State relations, and the Pagan and Christian sentiments towards the Roman world in transition and decline. While this work is exhaustive and full of valuable research material, it still remains eloquent and interesting, containing an engrossing storyline througout its duration. A comprehensive study of the Later Roman Empire will be difficult without this volume; and with volume two, Bury's work will be totally indispensable.

Bury's classic keeps the reader at all times close to the primary sources, resulting in a unique view of the period (395-465) that is less filtered than many more recent treatments. The start of volume I (Rome's administrative apparatus) seems somewhat dry at first, and is an effort to set the stage and provide necessary background for the rest, rather than to induce one to keep reading. But getting through this is well worth it, for what follows is a rounded, interesting presentation of political, social and military developments -- and their context -- from the end of unified control of the empire under Theodosius to Justinian's attempt to restore Rome's glory.The coverage of first hand accounts of scenes at Attila's court and between competing factions at the hippodrome under Justinian is particularly fascinating.