Procopius. The Secret History. G. A. Williamson, ed. & trans. London: Penguin Classics, 1966.
600–1000
This time period covers the Byzantine “dark ages” where literary sources become somewhat scarce. Fortunately the “Chronicle of Theophanes” sheds some much-needed light. This work by a ninth-century monk describes the rise of Heraclius and the empire’s struggle for survival amid religious dissension and external attack. The two major epochs of the period—the Iconoclastic controversy and the rise of the Macedonian dynasty—are detailed in Alice-Mary Talbot’s wonderful translations of Leo the Deacon and Eight Saints’ Lives.
Talbot, Alice-Mary. Byzantine Defenders of Images: Eight Saints’ Lives in English Translation. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, 1998.
Talbot, Alice-Mary. The History of Leo the Deacon: Byzantine Military Expansion in the Tenth Century. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, 2005.
Turtledove, Harry. The Chronicle of Theophanes. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1982.
1000–1453
For the period from the First to the Fourth Crusades, I have depended on the lively eyewitness accounts provided by Anna Comnena, John Kinnamos, Michael Psellus, and Niketas Choniates for the Eastern perspective, and on Joinville and Villehardouin for the Western.
Choniates, Niketas. O City of Byzantium: Annals of Niketas Choniates. Trans. Harry J. Magoulias. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1986.
Comnena, Anna. The Alexiad. London: Penguin Classics, 1969.
Kinnamos, John. Deeds of John and Manuel Comnenus. C. M. Brand, ed. & trans. New York: Columbia University Press, 1976.
Psellus, Michael. Fourteen Byzantine Rulers. London: Penguin Classics, 1966.
Shaw, M. R. B. Joinville and Villehardouin: Chronicles of the Crusades. New York: Penguin, 1963.
SECONDARY SOURCES
The secondary sources that have been most helpful can be broken down into two groups—those that are overviews of Byzantine history and those that deal with specific periods. In the former category I have made most use of Warren Treadgold’s exhaustive history and Lord Norwich’s three-volume set. Timothy Gregory’s work has also been important, and, of course, Edward Gibbon—though with a certain amount of salt. In the latter category, for the period of the Crusades, I was assisted by Jonathan Harris’s work, and for the early Macedonian Dynasty by the great Steven Runciman. In detailing the final moments of the empire I am indebted to Roger Crowley and especially Donald Nicol for his excellent study on Constantine Dragases.
Crowley, Roger. 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West. New York: Hyperion, 2005.
Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 6 vols. New York: Random House, 1993.
Gregory, Timothy E. A History of Byzantium. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005.
Harris, Jonathan. Byzantium and the Crusades. London: Hambledon Continuum, 2006.
Nicol, Donald M. The Immortal Emperor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
Norwich, John Julius. Byzantium: The Apogee. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004.
Norwich, John Julius. Byzantium: The Decline and Fall. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003.
Norwich, John Julius. Byzantium: The Early Centuries. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.
Runciman, Steven. The Emperor Romanus Lecapenus and His Reign. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1929.
Treadgold, Warren. A History of the Byzantine State and Society. California: Stanford University Press, 1997.
Appendix
EMPERORS OF CONSTANTINOPLE
CONSTANTINIAN DYNASTY (324-363)
324—353......Constantine the Great
353—361......Constantius..........Son of Constantine the Great
361—363......Julian the Apostate..........Cousin of Constantius
NON-DYNASTIC
363—364......Jovian..........Soldier, chosen on the battlefield
364—378......Valens..........Brother of Western Emperor Valentinian
THEODOSIAN DYNASTY (379-457)
379—395......Theodosius I the Great..........Soldier, chosen by Western Emperor Gratian
395—408......Arcadius..........Son of Theodosius
408—450......Theodosius II..........Son of Arcadius
450—457......Marcian..........Married Theodosius II’s sister
LEONID DYNASTY (457-518)
457—474......Leo I the Thracian..........Soldier, chosen by Eastern general Aspar
474......Leo II..........Grandson of Leo I
474—475......Zeno..........Son-in-law of Leo I
475—476......Basiliscus..........Usurper, brother-in-law of Leo I
476—491......Zeno (again)
491—518......Anastasius I..........Son-in-law of Leo I
JUSTINIAN DYNASTY (527-602)
518—527......Justin I..........Commander of the Palace Guard
527—565......Justinian I the Great..........Nephew of Justin I
565—578......Justin II..........Nephew of Justinian
578—582......Tiberius II ....Adopted by Justin II
582—602......Maurice..........Son-in-law of Tiberius II
NON-DYNASTIC
602—610......Phocas..........Usurper, soldier of Maurice
HERACLIUS DYNASTY (610-711)
610—641......Heraclius..........Usurper, general from Carthage
641......Constantine III..........Son of Heraclius Son of Heraclius Son of Constantine III
641......Heraclonas..........
641—668......Constans II the Bearded..........
668—685......Constantine IV..........Son of Constans II
685—695......Justinian II the Slit-Nosed...Son of Constantine IV
695—698......Leontius..........Usurper, soldier of Justinian II
698—705....Tiberius III ....Usurper, Germanic naval officer of Leontius
705—711......Justinian 11 (again)
NON-DYNASTIC
711—713......Philippicus..........Usurper, Armenian soldier of Justinian II
713—715......Anastasius II..........Usurper, imperial secretary of Philippicus
715—717......Theodosius III..........Usurper, tax collector and son (?) of Tiberius III
ISAURIAN DYNASTY (717-802)
717—741......Leo III the Isaurian..........Usurper, Syrian diplomat of Justinian II
741—775......Constantine V the Dung-Named..........Son of Leo III
775—780......Leo IV the Khazar..........Son-in-law of Leo III
780—797......Constantine VI the Blinded..........Son of Leo IV
797—802......Irene the Athenian..........Wife of Leo IV, mother of Constantine VI