Written by one of the most distinguished scholars of the twentieth century, Nicolae Iorga, The Byzantine Empire presents a concise history of the eastern Roman Empire from its origins through the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Although an overview of Byzantine history, Iorga compiled the work largely from original sources. His classic work is a must-read for scholars, students, and anyone interested in Byzantium. As Iorga states in his preface, 'The aim in view has not been to present one more systematic chronology of Byzantine history, considered as a succession of tragic anecdotes standing out against a permanent background. I have followed the development of Byzantine life in all its length and breadth and wealth, and I have tried to give a series of pictures rather than the customary dry narrative.' Now available for the first time in over a century, Iorga's The Byzantine Empire stands beside classic works like those of Runciman and Norwich as a pioneering study of one of the