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Ravenna

Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe
By Judith Herrin
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Ravenna by Judith Herrin explores the history of the city of Ravenna, an influential hub in the late antique period. The book delves into its pivotal role as a seat of power in the Roman Empire, highlighting its rich blend of Roman, Christian, and Byzantine art and culture. Through detailed analysis, Herrin explains how Ravenna became a crucial connection between the East and West.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you have a keen interest in the fascinating history of the Byzantine Empire and its influence on Western Europe. It offers a captivating exploration of how a city became a vital cultural and religious hub, rich in art and architecture, during a transformative period. You'll enjoy it if you appreciate detailed historical narratives enriched with vivid storytelling.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A glorious history of the jewel-like city on the Adriatic, which was a melting-pot of Greek, Latin, Christian, and barbarian culture. Winner of the 2020 Duff Cooper Prize.

In 402 AD, after invading tribes broke through the Alpine frontiers of Italy and threatened the imperial government in Milan, the young Emperor Honorius made the momentous decision to move his capital to a small, easily defendable city in the Po estuary - Ravenna. From then until 751 AD, Ravenna was first the capital of the Western Roman Empire, then that of the immense kingdom of Theoderic the Goth, and finally the centre of Byzantine power in Italy.

In this engrossing account, Judith Herrin explains how scholars, lawyers, doctors, craftsmen, cosmologists, and religious luminaries were drawn to Ravenna, where they created a cultural and political capital that dominated northern Italy and the Adriatic. As she traces the lives of Ravenna's rulers, chroniclers, and inhabitants, Herrin shows how the city became the pivot between East and West and the meeting place of Greek, Latin, Christian, and barbarian cultures.

While Ravenna's palaces have crumbled, its churches have survived. In them, Catholic Romans and Arian Goths competed to produce an unrivalled concentration of spectacular mosaics, many of which still astonish visitors today. Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe brings the early Middle Ages to life through the history of this dazzling city.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Judith Herrin's Ravenna is lauded for its comprehensive and accessible narrative, examining the city's role as a connection between East Rome and Western Europe. Reviews praise the book's sweeping analysis of historical questions, such as the decay and transformation of the Roman Empire in Europe and the influences on medieval Christendom. Herrin's work is celebrated for its rich illustrations and meticulous research, highlighting how Ravenna's architectural and cultural heritage played a pivotal role in the formation of European identity.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241954454

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 October 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 442g

Pages: 576

Collections

Ancient & Classical History European History History & Archaeology History & Military Judith Herrin Non-Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Judith Herrin won the Heineken Prize for History (the 'Dutch Nobel Prize') in 2016 for her pioneering work on the early Medieval Mediterranean world, especially the role of Byzantium, the influence of Islam and the significance of women. She is the author of Byzantium- The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire, The Formation of Christendom, A Medieval Miscellany and Women in Purple. Herrin worked in Birmingham, Paris, Munich, Istanbul and Princeton before becoming Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Studies at King's College London until 2008, where she is now the Constantine Leventis Visiting Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Classics. She has excavated in Greece, Cyprus and Turkey, and served for thirty years on the editorial board of Past and Present.

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