The Byzantine Empire was one of the most impressive imperial states in history. It managed to govern a large part of southeastern Europe and Anatolia for a thousand years. From 324, when Constantine the Great established his capital in Byzantium (which was renamed Constantinople), until 1453, when the city was conquered by the Ottomans, the Byzantine territory was a dynamic field of literature, art, theology, law, and education. Dionysis Stathakopoulos narrates here an imposing story of military conquests, alliances, and upheavals. It is the history of a state that was constantly in a state of war, but was not warlike and, when it could, resorted to a sophisticated and multifaceted diplomacy to deal with its neighbors and enemies.

The author breaks with the traditional views of Byzantium as an unchanging, theocratic state and, using the latest research findings, explores its political, economic, social, and cultural history. He presents a lively description of a state that has proven to be remarkably resilient and adaptable over the centuries, and whose legacy has influenced European history much more than is attributed to it. Whether it is the mosaics of the Daphni Monastery and the impressive Hagia Sophia, the highly educated and heretical Michael Psellos, or the immensely wealthy aristocrats, or the word "Byzantinism" (scholastic adherence to form and detail without practical goals), Byzantium calls us to reexamine its history.