Author : J. D. Howard-Johnston
Publisher : Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Page : 342 pages
File Size : 43,86 MB
Release : 2006
Category : History
ISBN : 9780860789925
James Howard-Johnston here focuses on the last great war of antiquity, that between East Rome and Sasanian Persia (603-628) which brought the classical phase of west Eurasian history to a dramatic close. He strives to root history in close observation of
Author : James Howard-Johnston
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 319 pages
File Size : 19,91 MB
Release : 2024-10-28
Category : History
ISBN : 104025070X
The last, longest and most damaging of the wars fought between East Rome and Sasanian Persia (603-628) brought the classical phase of west Eurasian history to a dramatic close. Despite its evident significance, not least as the distant setting for Muhammad's prophetic mission, this last great war of antiquity attracted comparatively little scholarly attention until the last decades of the twentieth century. James Howard-Johnston's contributions to the subject, most of which were published in out-of-the-way places (one, that on al-Tabari, is printed for the first time), are brought together in convenient form in this volume. They strive to root history in close observation of landscape and monuments as well as careful analysis of texts. They explore the evolving balance of power between the two empires, look at events through Roman, Armenian and Arab eyes, and home in on the climax of the final conflict in the 620s.
Author : James Howard-Johnston
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 495 pages
File Size : 24,12 MB
Release : 2021
Category : History
ISBN : 019883019X
The last great war of antiquity was fought on an unprecedented scale along the full length of the Persian-Roman frontier. James Howard-Johnston pieces together the fragmentary evidence of this period to form, for the first time, a coherent story of the dramatic events, key players, and vast lands over which the conflict spread.
Author : Michael J. Decker
Publisher :
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 38,67 MB
Release : 2021-11-18
Category : History
ISBN : 9781594163692
A comprehensive military history of one of the most important empires of Late Antiquity The Sasanian Empire at War: Persia, Rome, and the Rise of Islam, 224-651 is the first comprehensive study in English examining war and society in one of the most important empires in world history: the Persian Empire of 224-651 AD, ruled by the Sasanian clan. At its height the Sasanians governed lands from the Indus River in the east to Egypt and the Mediterranean in the west. Adversaries of Rome, they also faced grave challenges from nomadic powers from Central Asia, notably the Huns and Turks. The Sasanians were able to maintain their empire for hundreds of years through nearly constant warfare, but when their expansion was checked in the north by the Byzantines at Constantinople in 626, and with the Muslim invasions to their south and west beginning in the 630s, the empire could no longer be sustained, and it finally collapsed. In this book, historian Michael J. Decker examines Sasanian warfare, including military capabilities, major confrontations, and the organization and weapons of the Persian army. In addition to providing a comprehensive overview of the conflicts that marked this vital period in the history of Eurasia, The Sasanian Empire at War challenges long cherished notions of the inferiority of Sasanian military capabilities and renders a new image of a sophisticated, confident culture astride the heart of Eurasia at the end of the ancient world and birth of the Silk Road. Persian arms were among the many features of their culture that drew widespread admiration and was one of the keys to the survival of Iranian culture beyond the Arab Conquest and into the present day.
Author : Khodadad Rezakhani
Publisher : Edinburgh University Press
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 25,73 MB
Release : 2017-03-15
Category : History
ISBN : 1474400302
A narrative history of Central Asia after the Greek dynasties and before IslamCentral Asia is commonly imagined as the marginal land on the periphery of Chinese and Middle Eastern civilisations. At best, it is understood as a series of disconnected areas that served as stop-overs along the Silk Road. However, in the mediaeval period, this region rose to prominence and importance as one of the centres of Persian-Islamic culture, from the Seljuks to the Mongols and Timur. Khodadad Rezakhani tells the back story of this rise to prominence, the story of the famed Kushans and mysterious aAsian Huns, and their role in shaping both the Sasanian Empire and the rest of the Middle East.Contextualises Persian history in relation to the history of Central Asia Extends the concept of late antiquity further east than is usually done Surveys the history of Iran and Central Asia between 200 and 800 bc and contextualises the rise of Islam in both regions "e;
Author : Geoffrey Greatrex
Publisher : Arca Classical and Medieval Te
Page : 328 pages
File Size : 49,19 MB
Release : 1998
Category : History
ISBN :
The first modern account of the conflict between the eastern Roman Empire and the Sasanian kingdom. Greatrex traces the background to the war, investigating relations between Rome and Persia, the state of Roman defences in the East, and the chaotic situation in Persia at the end of the 5th century. He then examines the sources and the war itself, including the development of Roman defences, and the attempts by both powers to secure control of the Transcaucasian kingdoms.
Author : Touraj Daryaee
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 267 pages
File Size : 46,69 MB
Release : 2023-06-29
Category : History
ISBN : 0755618424
Of profound importance in late antiquity, the Sasanian Empire is virtually unknown today, except as a counterpoint to the Roman Empire. In this highly readable history, Touraj Daryaee fills a significant gap in our knowledge of world history. He examines the Sasanians' complex and colourful narrative and demonstrates their unique significance, not only for development of Iranian civilization but also for Roman and Islamic history. The Sasanians were the last of the ancient Persian dynasties and are best known as the pre-eminent practitioners of the Zoroastrian religion. Founded by Ardashir l in 224 CE, the Sasanian Empire was the dominant force in the Middle East for several centuries until its last king, Yazdgerd lll, was defeated by the Muslim Arabs in the seventh century. In this concise yet comprehensive book, Touraj Daryaee provides an unrivalled account of Sasanian Persia. Drawing on extensive new sources, he paints a vivid portrait of Sasanian life and unravels the divergent strands that contributed to the making of this great empire. This new edition includes updated economic and political histories as well as several inscriptions that have been found in recent years.
Author : Philip Wood
Publisher : Oxford University Press (UK)
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 21,65 MB
Release : 2013-08-29
Category : History
ISBN : 0199670676
This book examines the cultural and political history of the Church of the East, the main Christian church in Iraq and Iran. Philip Wood uses medieval Arabic sources to examine history-writing by Christians in the fifth to ninth centuries AD.
Author : Robert G. Hoyland
Publisher : Ancient Warfare and Civilizati
Page : 321 pages
File Size : 42,63 MB
Release : 2015
Category : History
ISBN : 0199916365
In just over a hundred years--from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750--the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Their armies threatened states as far afield as the Franks in Western Europe and the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, and it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time. How this collection of Arabian tribes was able to engulf so many empires, states, and armies in such a short period of time is a question that has perplexed historians for centuries. Most recent popular accounts have been based almost solely on the early Muslim sources, which were composed centuries later for the purpose of demonstrating that God had chosen the Arabs as his vehicle for spreading Islam throughout the world. In this ground-breaking new history, distinguished Middle East expert Robert G. Hoyland assimilates not only the rich biographical and geographical information of the early Muslim sources but also the many non-Arabic sources, contemporaneous or near-contemporaneous with the conquests. The story of the conquests traditionally begins with the revelation of Islam to Muhammad. In God's Path, however, begins with a broad picture of the Late Antique world prior to the Prophet's arrival, a world dominated by the two superpowers of Byzantium and Sasanian Persia, "the two eyes of the world." In between these empires, in western (Saudi) Arabia, emerged a distinct Arab identity, which helped weld its members into a formidable fighting force. The Arabs are the principal actors in this drama yet, as Hoyland shows, the peoples along the edges of Byzantium and Persia--the Khazars, Bulgars, Avars, and Turks--also played important roles in the remaking of the old world order. The new faith propagated by Muhammad and his successors made it possible for many of the conquered peoples to join the Arabs in creating the first Islamic Empire. Well-paced and accessible, In God's Path presents a pioneering new narrative of one the great transformational periods in all of history.
Author : Peter Fibiger Bang
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : pages
File Size : 32,35 MB
Release : 2013-01-09
Category : History
ISBN : 0199397376
The Oxford Handbook of the State in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean offers a comprehensive survey of ancient state formation in western Eurasia and North Africa. Eighteen experts introduce readers to a wide variety of systems spanning 4,000 years, from the earliest known states in world history to the Roman Empire and its immediate successors. They seek to understand the inner workings of these states by focusing on key issues: political and military power, the impact of ideologies, the rise and fall of individual polities, and the mechanisms of cooperation, coercion, and exploitation. This shared emphasis on critical institutions and dynamics invites comparative and cross-cultural perspectives. A detailed introductory review of contemporary approaches to the study of the state puts the rich historical case studies in context. Transcending conventional boundaries between ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean history and between ancient and early medieval history, this volume will be of interest not only to historians but also anthropologists, archaeologists, sociologists, and political scientists. Its accessible style and up-to-date references will make it an invaluable resource for both students and scholars.
