Byzantine chronicles have traditionally been regarded as a somewhat inferior form of Byzantine history writing, especially in comparison with 'classicizing' historians. The aim of many of these papers is both to rescue the reputation of the Byzantine chroniclers, especially Malalas and Theophanes, and also to provide some examples of how these two chroniclers in particular can be exploited usefully both to reveal aspects of the past itself, notably of the period of Justinian, and also of how the Byzantines interpreted their own past, which included on occasions rewriting that past to suit altered contemporary needs. For the period of Justinian in particular, proper attention to aspects of the humble Byzantine chronicle can also help achieve a better understanding of the period than that provided by the classicizing Procopius with his emphasis on war and conquest. By considering more general aspects of the place of history-writing in Byzantine culture, the papers also help explain why history remained such an important aspect of Byzantine culture.

Byzantium and the Arabs in the Sixth Century is devoted to frontier studies and to the structures of the Arab federates of Byzantium. It deals mainly with the Ghassanids of Oriens in the sixth century, a time of transition from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages. The focus of this study is on the military, religious, and civil structures of the Ghassanids. The detailed study of these buildings contributes to our understanding of Byzantine provincial art and architecture in Oriens, as they were adopted by the federate Arabs and later adapted to their own use. As monuments of Christian architecture, these federate structures constitute the missing link in the development of Arab architecture in the region--the link between the earlier pagan (Nabataean and Palmyrene) and later Muslim (Umayyad).

This book reflects a preoccupation with analysing the early Byzantine chronicles, above all the very different works of Marcellinus and Malalas, both as historiographical artefacts and as testimony for the years they cover. Many of the studies here demonstrate that, when set in context, even the briefest chronicle entry may shed new light on some aspect of early Byzantine politics, topography or prosopography. Particular themes are the development of the Christian chronicle as a form of presenting the past, the ceremonial life of Constantinople, and the relations between the Roman government and the tribes invading the Balkans.Cet ouvrage traduit une préoccupation certaine se rapportant à l'analyse des chroniques byzantines et surtout des travaux bien différents de Marcellin et de Malalas; l'un et l'autre en tant au'artefacts historiographiques et que témoignages des années qui y sont couvertes. Bon nombre des études contenues dans ce volume démontrent que, lorsqu'on la replace dans son contexte, ne serait-ce que la plus brève des chroniques enregistrées peut apporter un nouvel éclaircissement quant à un aspect ou un autre de la politique, de la topographie ou de la prosopographie byzantine. On retrouve parmi les thèmes ceux du développement de la chronique chrétienne, en tant que modèle de présentation du passé, de la vie cérémonielle de Constantinople et des rapports entre le gouvernement romain et les tribus qui envahissaient les Balkans.

An analytical account of developments within Byzantine culture, society and the state from c. 610 to 717.