home

= Byzantine and Islamic Empires = // An INLS 530 Pathfinder by Kristin White //



Purpose of this pathfinder
This pathfinder is intended for use by ninth graders studying world history in fulfillment of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study Social Studies **Objective 2.06: Describe the rise and achievements of the Byzantine and Islamic civilizations**. All of the resources listed here can be found within the Durham County Library system in Durham, North Carolina. Students will find books (both reference and nonfiction) about both the Byzantine Empire as well as the Islamic Empire. Also included are other multimedia resources, including videos/DVDs that are available through the library, online databases, and other relevant websites. This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but it provides a place for students to begin their research.

What are the Byzantine and Islamic Empires?
The Byzantine Empire, founded in the year 330 and lasting for over a thousand years, began as the eastern part of the Roman Empire (now modern-day Turkey). During this time the empire’s capital, Constantinople, was a major cultural center of Europe and was important in preserving classical Greek and Roman culture. The religion of the state was Orthodox Christianity (Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 2002). The Islamic Empire was the rival of the Byzantine Empire during this time period. Based on the religion of Islam, this empire began in the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East in the seventh century and gradually expanded throughout the Middle Ages. At first the Muslims made many attempts to capture territory from the Byzantines, including their capital, but the conflict later subsided and the two civilizations influenced each other greatly in terms of art, science, and culture (Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, 2004).

How should I start my search?
You can conduct your search in several different ways. You can enter keywords into the library's online catalog, you can search for specific subject headings, or you can browse the shelves for call numbers related to your topic.

These are some words you might use to enter into the library's catalog or online databases to look for items on your topic. You might want to try combining some of these words in the same search.  These are the labels the library uses to describe items in the catalog. You can enter them exactly as they appear here.
 * //Keywords//**
 * Byzantine Empire
 * Constantinople
 * Islamic Empire
 * Islam
 * Orthodox Christianity
 * Middle Ages
 * //Subject Headings//**
 * Byzantine Empire -- History
 * Byzantine Empire -- History -- Juvenile Literature
 * Byzantine Empire -- Civilization
 * Islamic Empire -- History
 * Islamic Empire -- Civilization
 * Middle East -- History

Look for these sections on the shelves and you'll find other books with similar topics.
 * //Dewey Call Numbers//**
 * 297s
 * 509s
 * 709s
 * 909s
 * 940s
 * 949s

Reference Books
These books will give you a broad overview of the topic. You might want to look at some general encyclopedias, but the sources listed below are a bit more subject-specific. These books cannot be checked out of the library. Call numbers are in parentheses.

**Dijkstra, H. (1996). //History of the ancient & medieval world//. New York: Marshall Cavendish. (RJ 930 HIST)**
Covering all of civilization from the beginnings of mankind to 1543, volumes of this twelve-volume work include Christianity and Islam and The Middle Ages. Each volume contains plenty of illustrations and is arranged chronologically within each topic area.

This atlas contains not only maps but also text on political, economic, social, and cultural topics as well as timelines, photos, and diagrams. While focusing primarily on Europe, this works also covers other parts of the world including Asia, helping to give you an idea of how the Byzantine and Islamic Empires fit in with the rest of the world.
 * McKitterick, R. (2004). //Atlas of the medieval world//. New York: Oxford University Press. (****R 909.07 MCKITTERICK)**

**Martin, R. C. (2004). //Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world//. New York: Macmillan Reference USA. (R 909.097 ENCY)**
This book contains articles on all aspects of Islam, including the Byzantine Empire as well as early Islamic empires.

**Ruthven, M., & Nanji, A. (2004). //Historical atlas of Islam//. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. (R 911.176 RUTHVEN)**
Maps in this atlas trace the history of Islamic civilizations from the beginnings of the religion to the modern day and show how its influence has spread geographically over time. Text and illustrations also accompany the maps.

Nonfiction Books
These are books you can check out of the library. Some of them are about the Byzantine Empire and some are about the Islamic Empire.

**Nardo, D. (2001). //The end of ancient Rome//. San Diego, Calif: Greenhaven Press. (937.08 END)**
This book contains an introduction with a brief overview of Roman history, but the majority of the book is divided into sections relating to the downfall of the empire. These sections cover Rome’s temporary resurgence after its fall in the third century, the crumbling of the empire in the West in the face of attacks by invaders, and other factors leading to the decline of the empire.

**Marston, E. (2003). //The Byzantine Empire//. Cultures of the past. New York: Benchmark Books. (J 949.502 MARSTON)**
This book is a good introduction to the Byzantine Empire, covering its history, culture, religion, and influences. If you are having trouble with some of the other resources on this pathfinder, you will find this one easier to understand (it is written at a slightly easier reading level).

**Norwich, J. J. (1997). //A short history of Byzantium//. New York: Knopf. (949.502 NORWICH)**
This book shows the Byzantine Empire to be an important period in history rather than just the period after the Roman Empire or before the Middle Ages. The empire was an important center for the arts and the most powerful force in Europe for many centuries, and this book shows that this civilization is one that is worthy of attention. Maps, lists of important people, and charts showing their lineage will help you keep track of important names and events.

**Wells, C. (2006). //Sailing from Byzantium: How a lost Empire shaped the world//. New York: Delacorte Press. (940 WELLS)**
In looking at the history of the Byzantine Empire, the author divides this book into three sections: “Byzantium and the West,” “Byzantium and the Islamic World,” and “Byzantium and the Slavic World.” These sections not only present the empire’s history but also describe its influence on other cultures over time.

**Cormack, R. (2000). //Byzantine art//. Oxford history of art. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (709.021 CORMACK)**
While this book may be challenging for some readers, it is still useful because of the way it organizes aspects of this period by political and social developments, including timelines and sidebars. Part of the achievement of the Byzantine civilization was its flourishing culture, of which art played an important part, which is why a book on art is an essential resource when you are studying this period.

**Esposito, J. L. (1999). //The Oxford history of Islam//. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press. (297.09 OXFO)**
This book brings together writings on a wide range of subjects about the history of Islam, including law and society, art and architecture, and differences between groups in different regions. It discusses the spread of Islam during its earlier years as well as today. This book will help you understand the growth of Islamic empires during the Middle Ages as well as its role in the world today, showing how the past influences the present.

**Kennedy, H. (2007). //The great Arab conquests: How the spread of Islam changed the world we live in//. Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo. (297.09 KENNEDY)**
This book describes the conquests of the Arab Muslims during the period from 632 C.E. to 750 C.E. Some of these conquests included the Byzantines, Christians, Persians, and Jews, and the author describes some of the reasons that the Arabs were so successful. One part of the book you may find especially interesting is a chapter of personal responses to the conquests from people living during that time.

**Barber, N. (2005). //Islamic empires//. Chicago, Ill: Raintree. (J 704.088 BARBER)**
This is another book that has an easier reading level than some of the other books on this list. Still, it is a great resource that examines Islamic art and the way it can reflect the lives of the people living in that time period and how understanding history can help us understand the art of the ancient Islamic empires.

**Ettinghausen, R., Grabar, O., & Jenkins, M. (2001). //Islamic art and architecture 650-1250//. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. (709 ETTINGHAUSEN)**
As a thriving civilization during the Middle Ages, early Islamic culture produced beautiful art and architecture that is discussed in this book. Works pictured in this book come from Spain, North Africa and the Middle East and include buildings, textiles, books, and ceramics.

**Beshore, G. (1988). //Science in early Islamic culture//. A First book. New York: F. Watts. (J 509.176 BESHORE)**
Another book written at a slightly easier reading level, this work serves as a good basic introduction to the scientific achievements of the early Islamic civilizations. It describes such developments as early surgical advances, medical treatises, and the development of Arabic numerals. Historical and cultural background that contributed to these achievements are discussed as well as how they tie into the Renaissance later on.

**Freely, J. (2009). //Aladdin's lamp: How Greek science came to Europe through the Islamic world//. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. (509 FREELY)**
This book explains how the ideas of Greek and Roman philosophers influenced science in the early Islamic world. It describes how the Muslims preserved this foundation by translating it into Arabic works and built on it. Ideas from both the classical Greeks and Romans as well as the Islamic scientists made their way into the West, leading to the Renaissance and further scientific discovery.

Historical Fiction
These books are set in the period during the Byzantine and Islamic empires, and they describe what life was like for characters living during that time.

=

 * Barrett, T., & Comnena, A. (1999). //Anna of Byzantium//. New York: Delacorte Press. (JF BARRETT, T)** This book tells the story of Anna, a 17-year-old who was brought up to inherit the throne of Byzantium but has been exiled to a convent. The story is told through Anna's eyes as she looks back on the events that led to her imprisonment.======

=

 * Turteltaub, H. N. (1998). //Justinian//. New York: Forge. F TURTELTAUB, H** This is the story of Justinian II, the emperor who took the throne at age 16 and was later overthrown by rebels. He was mutilated by having his nose cut off and sent into exile with his longtime companion and bodyguard, but years later he returns to power.======

Video/DVD
These movies are both available at the library for checkout.

**//Islam// (Greenstar Television, Liberty International Entertainment Inc, & Schlessinger Media, 2003). DVD 297 ISLA**
Narrated by Ben Kingsley, this DVD discusses the history of Islam as one of the major world religions and the cultural contributions of the Islamic world. It includes an optional Spanish language track and close-captioning for the hearing imparied.

**//Islam: Empire of Faith (The Messenger and the Awakening).// VIDEO 297.09 I**
This video covers the beginnings of Islam from the birth of the prophet Muhammad through the Ottoman Empire 1000 years later. Produced by PBS, it is a great documentary introducing the early centuries of Islamic history.

Databases
These are online resources that you can access through a service called NC Live, which contains lots of books, journals, and other great tools all in electronic format. In these databases, use some of the keywords from above to start your search. You'll need to ask a librarian for a password to get to these resources.

**Gale Virtual Reference Library**
This database provides access to many full-text e-books, including encyclopedias on various subject areas including world history.

**Academic Search Premier**
This database contains articles from magazines and scholarly journals on a wide range of subjects, including world history.

**Student Research Center**
Another database with broad coverage of many different subject areas, this one is geared toward students grades 6-12 so the language might be a bit easier and the interface is a little more teen-friendly.

Websites
These are some additional interesting sites that contain lots of useful information. They are all from trustworthy sources, so the information they contain is reliable.

**Bibliography on Byzantine Material Culture and Daily Life**
[] This resource has been put together by the Institute of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at the University of Vienna and allows you to search for secondary sources about objects of daily life and the material culture of Byzantium.

**Byzantine Studies – Dumbarton Oaks**
[] [] Dumbarton Oaks is an institute of Harvard University and is dedicated to scholarship in Byzantine studies. These websites provide access to some of the information this organization has made available.

Review Sources
School Library Journal Booklist Library Journal Publishers Weekly