Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization by Lars Brownworth

My biggest complaint regarding Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization by Lars Brownworth is that it is too short. At 352 pages, this account covers over twelve hundred years of the history of the empire. A longer work would have filled in so much more detail and gaps. The narrative is gripping and even exciting. This book should have been 700 pages plus. 

With that said, this is a fascinating and enlightening account of the Byzantine Empire, or as the author contends, the second half of the history of the Roman Empire. This is the story of emperors and empresses, political intrigue and innumerable wars. It is also the story of an empire that fostered an unbelievably rich culture of art, religion, science and technology. For it’s relative brevity, Brownworth’s book does an amazingly effective job at balancing and telling this complex and diverse story.

As I like to do, I want to focus on just one of several of the main points of this book. One of Brownworth’s major contentions is that the Roman Empire did not fall in 476 AD. Most of the traditional histories one encounters go something like this: in the fifth century, a Christianized Roman Empire was weakened by internal corruption and economic decay, this proverbial “house of cards” succumbed to “Barbarian” (I find that this word, which has become the standard to describe the diverse peoples who attacked Rome during this period, to be terribly inaccurate and misleading. Unfortunately, it has become so widely accepted that I must at least mention it here. Furthermore, Brownworth uses it without reservation) invasions and finally collapsed in 476 AD. A vestigial state in the East, known as Byzantium, lingered on after the fall of the west.

The picture that Brownworth paints more or less mirrors what was my own less organized take on events up until this point. I can summarize it as follows: though not yet halfway through its lifespan, the fifth century was a dark time for the Christianized Roman Empire. The state was plagued by internal corruption, poor leadership and economic decay and was subjected to Barbarian attacks both inside and outside its borders. The Western provinces, where the decay was worse, were lost to the Empire. The East also came close to collapse. However, beginning around 470, a series of competent, even brilliant, emperors successfully reorganized the Empire and its economy, fought off and decisively defeated its internal and external foes. The reenergized Empire, whose vibrant heart and capital was Constantinople, went on to re-conquer many of its Western territories including Italy and the city of Rome.  Though it could not hold on to all of the old Western provinces, the Empire flourished and lasted for another eleven hundred years. At times, it was the most powerful state in the region and even the world. 

Not just a technical continuation of the Roman Empire, Brownworth argues that throughout its history, Byzantium carried on the unbroken tradition of Classical, Christian and Roman Civilization. Throughout this period, the nation was known internally and externally as Rome. The author argues that while Western Europe descended into the dark ages, Byzantium maintained a high civilization with a corresponding high level of prosperity, life expectancy, physical comforts, literacy and culture. The author writes about his early learning experiences on the subject,

“I found myself confronted with a rich tapestry of lively emperors and seething barbarian hordes, of men and women who claimed to be emperors of Rome long after the Roman Empire was supposed to be dead and buried. It was at once both familiar and exotic; a Roman Empire that had somehow survived the Dark Ages, and kept the light of the classical world alive.”

Brownworth faults Western European intellectuals, who for political and religious reasons were unwilling to recognize the Empire’s true origins and heritage. The author points out that the name Byzantium was their creation and that throughout its history, the Empire was simply known as Rome. He writes,

“Only the scholars of the Enlightenment, preferring to find their roots in ancient Greece and classical Rome, denied the Eastern Empire the name "Roman," branding it instead after Byzantium the ancient name of Constantinople. The "real" empire for them had ended in 476 with the abdication of the last western emperor and the history of the "impostors" in Constantinople was nothing more than a thousand-year slide into barbarism, corruption, and decay.”

Though I think that these are just alternate ways in viewing history and that there is truth to both assessments, I find that this alternate interpretation is in many ways more useful than more traditional accounts.

There is a lot more here. I have only touched upon one of multiple and fascinating aspects about this book. This is the history of one of the richest cultures that ever existed. The interplay between the Imperial government and the Eastern Church is of particular importance and is also highlighted. It is also the history of innumerable characters such as Constantine I, Justinian I, Flavius Belisarius, Irene of Athens, Constantine XI and many others. 

I must give a few sentences to the legacy of Constantine XI, the last Byzantine and, some would say, the last Roman Emperor. Unlike the last western Emperors who cowered under the heal of their foreign overlords who eventually deposed them, Brownworth depicts Constantine XI as a virtuous, capable and brave man.  Taking the reigns of a terribly weakened Empire that was constantly under attack from the Ottoman Empire, his heroic diplomatic and military efforts to save the state proved to be ultimately futile. He died on May 29, 1453, the last day of existence for the Empire. Constantine XI had the chance to escape to safety. Instead, he refused to abandon the Empire’s citizens. As Ottoman forces poured over the walls of Constantinople, bringing doom to Byzantium, Constantine charged into the enemy’s ranks, sword in hand, and fell along with the Empire. 

I find that Brownworth is a terrific writer of history. His prose is lively and fun but also informative and precise. One flaw worth mentioning, however, is that Brownworth at times shows a bit too much bias. He obviously has favorite emperors as well as those he does not like. He tends to celebrate those that he esteems while  vilifying those he does not a little too much. This is just a minor quibble, however. His engaging style paired with such a compelling story makes this a must read for anyone in interested in this period. Though I hungered for more detail, this is one terrific history book.

The Rise of Rome by Anthony Everitt

The Rise of Rome by Anthony Everitt is an engaging chronicle of the Republic’s rise to power in the ancient world. The author has written an extremely informative political, economic, military, religious, philosophical and social history of the first four hundred or so years subsequent to Rome’s founding. This book very effectively covers an enormous swath of time as well as topics.

One major problem that is symptomatic of many ancient histories is turned into an advantage in this book. That is, the historical record for the first two hundred years or so of Rome’s history ranges from the scant to the incomplete. For the early years, the author interspaces what is known and/or can be intelligently speculated with the numerous legends and stories that the Romans created concerning their own past. He writes,

“The city's foundation myths and the events of its early centuries are almost entirely unhistorical, but they were what Romans believed of themselves. They are a rich and poetic feast that has nourished European civilization for two thousand years. It is only in the past few generations that our collective mind has begun to jettison them.”

Everitt encapsulates the fascinating though mostly fictional tales of such figures as Aeneas, Romulus and Remus, as well as accounts of possibly real people involved in actions and events that were likely wholly or in part apocryphal.  These legends are in of themselves engaging narratives. Everitt points out that while some of these stories do seem to have a basis in truth, they were often crafted to make political or philosophical points. As the centuries progress, accurate historical evidence becomes more plentiful and thus a more coherent chronological narrative is laid out.

Formed, more than founded, sometime around the 7^th   or 8^th century B.C., Rome was initially a monarchy. Established at a time when Greek culture was dominant in the region, the city developed a culture that was a variation upon the Greek. Sometime in the 4th century BC the monarchy was overthrown and replaced by a republic that Everitt describes as a mix of oligarchy, monarchy and democracy. The government was a complex mix of multiple legislative bodies and executives. The Senate was the most famous and at times the most powerful of these.

As the centuries passed, Rome both warred as well as practiced smart diplomacy and slowly grew to first encompass its near neighbors, then the Italian Peninsula. Later, major conflicts with Epirus, Macedonia, Pontus and Carthage resulted in Roman victories and enormous territorial and power gains throughout the Mediterranean region.

The book is full of engaging narratives of famous Romans and non -Romans who interacted with the Republic, such as Cato the Elder, Brutus the Elder, Hannibal, Pyrrhus of Epirus and many others. Everitt does not skimp on the common Roman either. Many pages are devoted to painting a picture as to what it was like being a member of various groups, including the wealthy, the poor, women, slaves, etc.

The author does not shy away from covering Roman brutality. Though to its credit, the nation often absorbed vanquished foes into the Republic; in other instances it carried out what today would be called genocidal campaigns of annihilation against defeated nations. The most famous example of this barbarity was the fate of Carthage. Romans also enslaved millions. According to Everitt the Roman slave system was particularly inhumane as compared to previous systems as the Republic worked hundreds of thousands of people to death in both agricultural pursuits and in mines. It is also well known that Rome spread savage gladiatorial combat throughout its territory.

 There are many points to this history worth pondering. Just one of several important threads here was just how important organization was to Rome’s success. In many ways, Rome was an extremely organized and efficient society in comparison to other states in existence at the time. Everitt argues that this efficiency and proficiency made the most difference when it came to laws, government and engineering.

This ordered legal system and government provided relative internal stability, sparing Rome some of the strife and chaos that was symptomatic of many other cities and peoples. To be sure, there was conflict between the powerful “Patricians” and the common “Plebeians.” This was mostly resolved through compromise, however. Everitt writes,

“The remarkable story of how Rome’s class struggle was resolved is evidence that generation after generation of pragmatists were willing to give and take, to make do and mend, to strike deals with their political opponents.”

Furthermore, at least in the first few hundred years, a very organized government allowed Rome to effectively integrate, as opposed to rule over, peoples and territories that it conquered. Such assimilation of neighboring populations, rare in the ancient world, was integral to Rome’s success. Other states and empires were comprised of small core areas with limited populations attempting to hold on to larger conquered territories and peoples using limited resources. As Rome subsumed and merged more territories, it increased both its population as well as resources that were readily available to it. Thus, the Republic was able to outcompete its rivals.

As time passed, a large empire gave way to enormous empire. These legal and governmental systems, perfectly fashioned to govern a moderate sized ancient state, did not evolve with the times. Everitt explains how these institutions began to fail as the Republic turned into a behemoth. Civil strife and overambitious men led to the fall of the Republic and imperial dictatorship.

Likewise Rome’s engineering accomplishments were amazing and allowed for the development of an efficient and successful economic and military state. Everitt explains that by constructing technologically advanced roads, sewer systems and aqueducts, the Romans created a nation that was unbeatable both economically and militarily.

This work is a great source for anyone interested in ancient history, as well as the history of government, philosophy, economy and military. As Everitt points out, the earlier republican Roman years are less well known than those of the later empire. There are many lessons here for folks who want to gain a better understanding of the world. Understanding the Roman Republic is of key importance if one is to understand Western Civilization as well as the modern world. Thus I end with Everitt’s observations that,

“The idea of Rome is imprinted on our genes.”