Ruling the later Roman Empire
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Ruling the later Roman Empire
（Revealing antiquity, 15）
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2004
- : pbk
Available at / 11 libraries
-
No Libraries matched.
- Remove all filters.
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 301-325) and index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
-
ISBN 9780674015647
Description
In his book, Christopher Kelly paints a remarkable picture of running a superstate. He portrays a complex system of government openly regulated by networks of personal influence and the payment of money. Focusing on the Roman Empire after Constantine's conversion to Christianity, Kelly illuminates a period of increasingly centralized rule through an ever more extensive and intrusive bureaucracy. The book opens with a view of its times through the eyes of a high-ranking official in sixth-century Constantinople, John Lydus. His On the Magistracies of the Roman State, the only memoir of its kind to come down to us, gives an impassioned and revealing account of his career and the system in which he worked. Kelly draws a wealth of insight from this singular memoir and goes on to trace the operation of power and influence, exposing how these might be successfully deployed or skillfully diverted by those wishing either to avoid government regulation or to subvert it for their own ends.
Ruling the Later Roman Empire presents a fascinating procession of officials, emperors, and local power brokers, winners and losers, mapping their experiences, their conflicting loyalties, their successes, and their failures.
- Volume
-
: pbk ISBN 9780674022447
Description
In this highly original work, Christopher Kelly paints a remarkable picture of running a superstate. He portrays a complex system of government openly regulated by networks of personal influence and the payment of money. Focusing on the Roman Empire after Constantine's conversion to Christianity, Kelly illuminates a period of increasingly centralized rule through an ever more extensive and intrusive bureaucracy.
The book opens with a view of its times through the eyes of a high-ranking official in sixth-century Constantinople, John Lydus. His On the Magistracies of the Roman State, the only memoir of its kind to come down to us, gives an impassioned and revealing account of his career and the system in which he worked. Kelly draws a wealth of insight from this singular memoir and goes on to trace the operation of power and influence, exposing how these might be successfully deployed or skillfully diverted by those wishing either to avoid government regulation or to subvert it for their own ends. Ruling the Later Roman Empire presents a fascinating procession of officials, emperors, and local power brokers, winners and losers, mapping their experiences, their conflicting loyalties, their successes, and their failures.
This important book elegantly recaptures the experience of both rulers and ruled under a sophisticated and highly successful system of government.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments Prologue: First Thoughts Part I. The Bureaucrat's Tale Introduction: John Lydus: A Man and His Book 1. All the Prefect's Men 2. The Competition for Spoils Part II. Rulers and Ruled Introduction: Passages from the Principate to Late Antiquity 3. Standing in Line 4. Purchasing Power 5. Autocracy and Bureaucracy Epilogue: Last Judgments Notes Bibliography Index
by "Nielsen BookData"
