When Justinian first assumed the title of Roman Emperor in 527 CE, his inherited empire--now based in Constantinople-- had lost almost all of its connection with the Eternal City itself, and was threatened from within by profound theological splits, and from without by the various barbarian kingdoms that surrounded it. By taking military action against the barbarian Ostrogoths, Visigoths, and Vandals, and signing an "eternal peace" with Persia, Justinian managed to reclaim much of the lands formerly held by Rome; while through his incessant legislation and monetary contributions to an extensive building program, he sought to reestablish the old Roman cultural institutions of order and architectural beauty in his newly won kingdom.
The Fall of Rome: And the End of Civilization by Bryan Ward-Perkins
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.
Ancient Europe 8000 B.C.--A.D. 1000: An Encyclopedia of the Barbarian World
Прекрасно иллюстрированная энциклопедия - двухтомник, включающая карты, хронологию, биографические справки, подробные описания по каждой стране.
In addition to post “Encyclopedia of the Barbarian Europe” (poster Maria) http://englishtips.org/index.php?newsid=1150792667
Aimed at the nonspecialist reader this set is appropriate for upper class high school and university students, professionals, and public library patrons.
Humans and Environments, Origins and Growth of European Prehistory, Settlement Patterns and Landscapes, Trade and Exchange, Status and Wealth, Ritual and Ideology, Archaeology and Language, Warfare and Conquest, Postglacial Foragers, 8000--4000 B.C, The Mesolithic of Europe (by each region), Crops of the Early Farmers, Domestication of the Horse, The Iceman, The Neolithic Temples of Malta, The Early, Middle and Late Bronze Ages in Central Europe, Celtic Migrations, Iron Age etc.
Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe The first comprehensive reference work devoted exclusively to this dark, but critical, period in the history of Western civilization.
