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Failure of Empire
Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century A.D.
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See moreValens will always be remembered for his spectacular defeat and death at the hands of the Goths in the Battle of Adrianople. This singular misfortune won him a front-row seat among history's great losers. This book presents the biography of the Roman emperor Valens and his troubled reign (AD 364-78).
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Failure of Empire is the first comprehensive biography of the Roman emperor Valens and his troubled reign (a.d. 364-78). Valens will always be remembered for his spectacular defeat and death at the hands of the Goths in the Battle of Adrianople. This singular misfortune won him a front-row seat among history's great losers.
By the time he was killed, his empire had been coming unglued for several years: the Goths had overrun the Balkans; Persians, Isaurians, and Saracens were threatening the east; the economy was in disarray; and pagans and Christians alike had been exiled, tortured, and executed in his religious persecutions. Valens had not, however, entirely failed in his job as emperor. He was an admirable administrator, a committed defender of the frontiers, and a ruler who showed remarkable sympathy for the needs of his subjects.
In lively style and rich detail, Lenski incorporates a broad range of new material, from archaeology to Gothic and Armenian sources, in a study that illuminates the social, cultural, religious, economic, administrative, and military complexities of Valens's realm. Failure of Empire offers a nuanced reconsideration of Valens the man and shows both how he applied his strengths to meet the expectations of his world and how he ultimately failed in his efforts to match limited capacities to limitless demands.
Series: Transformation of the Classical Heritage
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Failure of Empire
Failure of Empire is the first comprehensive biography of the Roman emperor Valens and his troubled reign (a.d. 364-78). Valens will always be remembered for his spectacular defeat and death at the hands of the Goths in the Battle of Adrianople. This singular misfortune won him a front-row seat among history's great losers. By the time he was killed, his...Paperback$6699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
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Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780520283893
Publisher: University of California Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 26 June 2014
Country: United States
Imprint: University of California Press
Illustration: 21 b-w photographs, 1 line illustration, 5 maps
Audience: Tertiary education
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 33.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 680g
Pages: 470
About the Author
Noel Lenski is Associate Professor and Chair of Classics at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
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