090037 VO Early Byzantine History (2016S)

This course traces the formation of the early Byzantine state, including religious and social phenomena, as it developed on the basis of the later Roman empire. Particular emphasis will be placed on the cultural exchange and the political and military interaction between Byzantium and neighboring people, especially the Goths, Slavs, Sasanians and Arabs. To exemplify these developments, the reigns of Constantine, Justinian, Heraclius as well as the period of Iconoclasm will be treated in greater depth.

Interactive lecture
Introduction to the most relevant events, their representation in the sources and their interpretation in modern scholarship.