Library

This book was originally called "History of the Byzantine State". After its publication in 1940, it immediately aroused great interest in the academic community and was unanimously regarded as a foundational work. The author traces the clues of the historical development of the Byzantine Empire over more than a thousand years with a clear and logical narrative. While focusing on political development, he also pays special attention to opportunity, economics, spiritual and religious life, and outlines the empire's connection with classical culture and its profound influence on the history of Europe and the Near East at that time and in subsequent generations. This book is particularly praised for its novel viewpoints, reasonable arrangement of materials, and method of observing the development history of the Byzantine state. This method is used to examine the changes in economic, social, administrative, military, church, ideological and other factors in the history of Byzantium and their external influences. The author's accuracy in the use of data, objectivity in introducing the views of foreign scholars, the compactness of his narrative and the simplicity and elegance of his diction were all praised.