The Roman Empire Divided: 400-700

The decline and 'fall of the Roman Empire' has transfixed us for centuries as one of the most significant events in western history. 'The Roman Empire Divided' shows how the power of the mighty empire was swept away and succeeded by states founded by Slavs, Arabs, Germanic people and others over most of its territory, and how the foundations of the later histories of western Europe, the Balkans the Middle East were laid. Panoramic and pathbreaking, this is the first book to cover the end of the Empire across the continent and beyond. It places the changing map of Europe in the context of other developments of the period, including the increasing importance of religion in society, new kinds of social life and economic activity and crucially the ways in which people came to identify themselves ethnically. It considers the extent to which political change reflected trends which had long been under way. Most importantly, it shows how the civilization and unity of the ancient world gave way to smaller units which had little in common with each other. John Moorhead is McCaughey Professor of History at the University of Queensland. He is the author of many books including 'Justinian' (1994), 'Ambrose' (1999) and 'Persecution' (1992).