The Case for East Roman Studies (Paperback)

Paperback. Byzantine Studies has reached a tipping point: a growing number of historians have realized that the terms Byzantium and the Byzantines distort the reality and identity of the society that we study, and encode a series of prejudices that were embedded in western perceptions. The aim of these terms was to exclude the eastern empire from important discussions and historical developments.It is time to end this exercise in orientalist fiction, but what are the alternatives? In this book, Anthony Kaldellis surveys the pros and cons of a range of possible options and examines the implications of a field name-change also for art history, philology, and the study of Eastern Orthodoxy. The new name he proposes will carry the field into the next phase of its history, renegotiate its relationships with its peers and respect the testimony of our sources. A growing number of historians have realized that the terms Byzantium and the Byzantines distort the reality and identity of the society being studied. Anthony Kaldellis proposes a name change for the field of Byzantine Studies. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.…