Buch, Englisch, 248 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm
And the End of Civilization
Buch, Englisch, 248 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm
ISBN: 978-0-19-280564-5
Verlag: Oxford University Press
Reviews
- 'Imaginative and intensely interesting' -Chistopher Kelly, University of Cambridge
Description:
- Ward-Perkins reclaims the drama, violence, and the horror of the 'Fall of Rome'
- A major new interpretation of a key event in the history of western civilization
- Most up-to-date and accessible book on the subject, combining a lively narrative with the latest research and generous illustrations
Why did Rome fall?
Vicious barbarian invasions during the fifth century resulted in the cataclysmic end of the world's most powerful civilization, and a 'dark age' for its conquered peoples. Or did it? The dominant view of this period today is that the 'fall of Rome' was a largely peaceful transition to Germanic rule, and the start of a positive cultural transformation.
Bryan Ward-Perkins encourages every reader to think again by reclaiming the drama and violence of the last days of the Roman world, and reminding us of the very real horrors of barbarian occupation. Attacking new sources with relish and making use of a range of contemporary archaeological evidence, he looks at both the wider explanations for the disintegration of the Roman world and also the consequences for the lives of everyday Romans, in a world of economic collapse, marauding barbarians, and the rise of a new religious orthodoxy. He also looks at how and why successive generations have understood this period differently, and why the story is still so significant today.
Contents
- 1 Did Rome ever Fall?
- Part I The Fall of Rome
- 2 The Horrors of War
- 3 The Road to Defeat
- 4 Living under the New Masters
- Part II The End of a Civilization
- 5 An End to Comfort
- 6 Why the Collapse of Comfort?
- 7 The End of a Civilization
- 8 All for the Best in the Best of All Possible Worlds
- Appendix: From Pot-Sherds to History
- Notes
- Further Reading
- Timeline
Zielgruppe
The general reader with an interest in ancient Rome, and teachers and students of ancient history.
