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In: History - Other·History - Ancient
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #65337.
William Gordon Holmes’s work is a scholarly survey of the sixth‑century Byzantine world, centered on the reign of Emperor Justinian I and his empress, Theodora. The book opens with a preface that laments the lack of a comprehensive treatment of the period, positioning Holmes’s aim as a synthesis of events, personalities, and the physical setting of Constantinople. A detailed table of contents follows, outlining chapters on the city’s topography, sociology, and the political and religious climate before and during Justinian’s rule. The introductory proem then expands into a philosophical meditation on the rise and decline of civilizations, arguing that understanding this era illuminates broader patterns of human progress. Holmes proceeds to trace the early history of Constantinople, from its mythic founding by Byzas to its development as a strategic hub, grounding his narrative in archaeological and literary sources.
The author writes in a formal, nineteenth‑century academic voice, interweaving factual exposition with expansive commentary on philosophy, science, and moral decline. His style is dense and discursive, reflecting the era’s penchant for exhaustive footnotes and a moralizing tone. Readers who appreciate detailed historical analysis, the interplay of geography and politics, and a reflective, almost essay‑like approach to antiquity will find this volume rewarding. It especially suits scholars of Byzantine studies, students of late Roman law, and general history enthusiasts who enjoy a thorough, context‑rich portrait of an empire at the crossroads of ancient and medieval worlds.
The opening · free to read
This work has now been carefully revised and slightly enlarged. I am indebted to suggestions from various reviewers of the first edition for several of the improvements introduced. Occasionally, however, they are in error and at variance among themselves on some of the points noted. A few of my critics have accused me of being too discursive, especially in my notes, an impression which is the natural result of my not having expressed it definitely anywhere that my object was to present not merely the sociology and events of a particular period, but also to illustrate, in an abridged sense, the history of all time.
W. G. H.
LONDON, August, 1912.
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