The Emperors of Byzantium

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A compelling and vivid narrative history of one of the founding civilizations of the modern world, the Byzantine empire, evocatively told through the lives of its 92 emperors.

Based in the great city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), the Byzantine empire was one of the most successful states of the Middle Ages. The continuation of the Roman empire, it ruled over a vast terrain straddling Europe and western Asia from the fourth to fifteenth centuries. Yet its history remains largely unfamiliar.

This chronicle by Byzantine expert Kevin Lygo brings this majestic and turbulent period to life through the lives of its emperors: a role that encompassed being head of state, supreme military commander, and God's representative on earth. These rulers, who include well-known figures like Constantine the Great and Justinian I, and a number of extraordinary women such as Irene of Athens and Zoe Porphyrogennete, combined both ruthless usurpers as well as soaring intellectuals. But they all left their mark upon the modern world with the establishment of the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith, the creation of a visual template for Christian art, and magnificent monuments that include the cathedral of Hagia Sophia, the mosaics of Ravenna and the architectural wonder that is Mount Athos.

Throughout, Lygo paints vivid portraits of the entire Byzantine cast, with tales of political survival, religious devotion, sexual intrigue and artistic brilliance. This is a humanizing portrayal of more than ninety individuals whose rule profoundly impacted the lives of millions.

Reviews

'I love this book. The strangeness, the darkness, the madness, the gruesomeness, the politics, the families, the feuding, the deaths! It makes Game of Thrones look like a scrap in the playground' - Russell T. Davies
'This revelatory and brilliantly researched book opens the door to one of the best-kept secrets in art the magnificent empire of Byzantium' - Waldemar Januszczak
'Kevin Lygo is a connoisseur, collector and specialist in the Byzantine era, which when combined with his flair for storytelling, make this a publication to savour' - Will Gompertz
'Highly readable ... Lygo has succeeded brilliantly in bringing this fascinating but strangely neglected subject to life' - Paul Lay, Editor, History Today

Author Bio

Kevin Lygo is an expert in Islamic and Byzantine art who has travelled across Europe and the Middle East extensively. He has previously edited the publications Portraits of the Masters: Bronze Sculptures of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages (2003) and Pages of the Qur'an. A study of Islamic Calligraphy (2011). He is Director of Television at ITV and was formerly Director of Television at Channel 4. Bettany Hughes is an award-winning historian, author and broadcaster. Robert Peston is a journalist, writer and the Political Editor of ITV News.