Preliminary Material /Elizabeth Jeffreys , Brian Croke and Roger Scott -- Malalas, the man and his work /Brian Croke -- Byzantine chronicle writing /Brian Croke -- Malalas' world view /Elizabeth Jeffreys -- Malalas and his contemporaries /Roger Scott -- A record of public buildings and monuments /Ann Moffatt -- Chronological structures in the chronicle /Elizabeth Jeffreys -- Malalas' sources /Elizabeth Jeffreys -- Language of Malalas /Alan James -- The transmission of Malalas' chronicle /Elizabeth Jeffreys -- The development of a critical text /Brian Croke -- Modem study of Malalas /Brian Croke -- Conclusion /Elizabeth Jeffreys -- Passages cited from Malalas /Elizabeth Jeffreys -- Index /Elizabeth Jeffreys , Brian Croke and Roger Scott.

Malalas' purpose in writing his work is twofold: 1) to set out the course of sacred history as interpreted by the Christian chronicle tradition (covered by Books 1-9); and 2) to provide a summary account of events under the Roman emperors up to and including his own lifetime (covered by Books 10-18).

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.

Collection of articles arranged in 5 subsections: Historiography and rhetoric, Christianity in its social context, art and representation, Byzantium and the workings of the empire, and late antiquity in retrospect.

The first comprehensive introduction in English to books, readers and reading in Byzantium and the wider medieval world surrounding it.

In Books 26–31 Ammianus Marcellinus deals with the period of the emperors Valentinian and Valens. The representatives of the new dynasty differ greatly from their predecessor Julian, both personally and in their style of government. The Empire is divided between the two rulers, and suffers increasingly from barbarian invasions. Faced with these changes, Ammianus adapts his historical method. His treatment of the events becomes less detailed and more critical. The years following on the death of Julian are painted in dark colours, as the disaster at Hadrianople casts its shadow before. The papers in this volume, on History and Historiography, Literary Composition and Crisis of Empire, were presented during the conference "Ammianus after Julian" held in 2005.