Constantinople: Capital of Byzantium

308 Pages·3.044 MB·English

by  Harris Jonathan.

Constantinople: Capital of Byzantium
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Constantinople:
Capital of
Byzantium
JONATHAN HARRIS
Continuum UK Continuum US
The Tower Building 80 Maiden Lane
11 York Road Suite 704
London SE1 7NX New York, NY 10038

www.continuumbooks.com

Copyright © Jonathan Harris 2007

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechani-
cal, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or
retrieval system, without prior permission from the publishers.

First published 2007

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9780826430861

Typeset by codeMantra, India
Printed by MPG Books Ltd, Bodmin, Cornwall
For E.L.F.
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Contents
List of Illustrations viii
List of Abbreviations ix
Maps xi
Acknowledgements xvi
Introduction 1
1 The City of Wonders 4
2 Founding Fathers 18
3 Defence 40
4 Palaces and Power 59
5 Churches and Monasteries 84
6 ‘Two Thirds of the Wealth of this World’ 108
7 Democracy 128
8 The Beginning of the End 149
9 The Ruin of Byzantine Constantinople 169
10 Epilogue: Byzantine Constantinople Today 193
Notes 206
Bibliography 255
Index 276
Illustrations

1 Mosaic of Constantine and Justinian, Hagia Sophia
2 Remains of the Arch of Theodosius on the site of the Forum of
Theodosius
3 The Aqueduct of Valens
4 The Basilika cistern
5 The Hippodrome
6 Mosaic of Constantine IX and the Empress Zoe, Hagia Sophia
7 Marble roundel of a Byzantine Emperor, Campello de
Ca’angaran, Venice
8 Gold Hyperpyron of Alexios III Angelos
9 Porphyry sculpture of the Tetrarchs, Venice
10 Mosaic of Theodore Metochites, Church of St Saviour in Chora
Abbreviations
B = Byzantion
BMGS = Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies
BZ = Byzantinische Zeitschrift
DOP = Dumbarton Oaks Papers
JHS = Journal of Hellenic Studies
REB = Revue des Études Byzantines