Böcker i Birmingham Byzantine and Ottoman Studies-serien

This volume is a brief survey of the possible source materials used by historians wanting to present a history of the Byzantine world during the 8th and 9th centuries. It also highlights some of the problems inherent in attempting to interpret such materials in a historical context.

Discussing the cult of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) in Byzantium, this title focuses on textual and historical aspects of the subject. It re-examines the relationship between icons, relics and the Virgin, asking whether increasing devotion to these holy objects or figures was related in any way.

An analytical account of the history of subsistence crises and epidemic diseases in Late Antiquity. Based on a catalogue of all such events in the East Roman/Byzantine empire between 284 and 750, it presents an account of the causes, effects and internal mechanisms of these crises.