John Lydus and the Roman Past

<p><em>John Lydus and the Roman Past</em> offers a new interpretation of the emergence of Byzantine society as viewed through the eyes of John Lydus a sixth-century scholar and civil servant. Maas show that control of classical inheritance was politically contested in the reign of Justinian. He demonstrates how the past could be used to convey legitimacy and social definition at a time of profound change.</p>