Overview
Explores the story of the end of Rome through both Western and Eastern lenses
Applies a comparative approach to the sources of the conquests of Rome from the fifth and seventh centuries
Advocates the integration of new scholarly techniques towards the end of the ancient world
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Table of contents (7 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
This book offers a radical perspective on what are conventionally called the Islamic Conquests of the seventh century. Placing these earthshattering events firmly in the context of Late Antiquity, it argues that many of the men remembered as the fanatical agents of Muḥammad probably did not know who the prophet was and had, in fact, previously fought for Rome or Persia. The book applies to the study of the collapse of the Roman Near East techniques taken from the historiography of the fall of the Roman West. Through a comparative analysis of medieval Arabic and European sources combined with insights from frontier studies, it argues that the two falls of Rome involved processes far more similar than traditionally thought. It presents a fresh approach to the century that witnessed the end of the ancient world, appealing to students of Roman and medieval history, Islamic Studies, and advanced scholars alike.
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
James Moreton Wakeley is currently reading for a D.Phil. in early Islamic history at Lincoln College, Oxford, UK. He previously studied Classics at Clare College, Cambridge, UK. He is the co-editor of an essay collection on cross-cultural exchange in the late Roman and Byzantine world and has written for History Today.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Two Falls of Rome in Late Antiquity
Book Subtitle: The Arabian Conquests in Comparative Perspective
Authors: James Moreton Wakeley
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69796-3
Publisher: Palgrave Pivot Cham
eBook Packages: History, History (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-69795-6Published: 22 December 2017
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-69796-3Published: 11 December 2017
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: VII, 109
Topics: History of Ancient Europe, History of the Middle East, Classical Studies, History of Military, Historiography and Method