The years between 161 AD and 337 AD, from the accession of Marcus Aurelius to the death of Constantine the Great, have been regarded as the years of the Roman Empire's decline. Yet this age, dogged by rising totalitarianism and internal strife, produced some of the greatest cultural achievements in Rome's history. The author, seeing this as a period of accomplishment not of decay, reviews these triumphs in art and architecture, in literature and philosophy, and in religion.

Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History, volume 7 (CMR 7), covering Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America in the period 1500-1600, is a continuing volume in a general history of relations between the two faiths from the seventh century to the early 20th century. It comprises introductory essays and the main body of detailed entries which treat all the works, surviving or lost, that have been recorded. These entries provide biographical details of the authors, descriptions and assessments of the works themselves, and complete accounts of manuscripts, editions, translations and studies. The result of collaboration between numerous leading scholars, CMR 7, along with the other volumes in this series, is intended as a basic tool for research in Christian-Muslim relations. Section editors: Clinton Bennett, Luis F. Bernabe Pons, Lejla Demiri, Martha Frederiks, John-Paul Ghobrial, David Grafton, Alan Guenther, Abdulkadir Hashim, Şevket Küçükhüseyin, Emma Loghin, Gordon Nickel, Claire Norton, Peter Riddell, Umar Ryad, Davide Tacchini, Moussa Serge Hyacinthe Traore, Carsten Walbiner