Customer Reviews

The Byzantine Economy (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks)

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Laiou and Morrisson have put together a very readable and informative history of Byzantine economics. It covers the entire empire, and focuses on land use and natural resources, as well as trade with various parts of the Mediterranean and the east, to as far as China. It is very well-balanced in respect to these two sources of economic activity, considering how much better the sources are towards Constantinople and sea trade as opposed to the common farmer. The book has several useful maps as well, regarding trade winds and various centers of production. The authors make good use of the primary sources and archaeological evidence, and blend it into a very readable book. They clearly understand how to use numismatics in economic history, and draw upon a large pool of secondary research.

Although this is just an introduction and summary of The Economic History of Byzantium (3 Vol. Set), there is a lot of good information in here for the student of the Byzantine Empire. Others may find it rather dry at times, but this book is well-worth its purchase price.

This book taks a multi-dimensional view of what is knowable about the Byzantine Empire's economy, including the political and social contexts. It's excellent on its own, and it's also a good complement to a general work like "A Short History of Byzantium." Both books really aided my appreciation of Istanbul and its history.