History of the Eastern Roman Empire (eBook)

John Bagnell Bury, commonly known as J. B. Bury, was an esteemed historian and scholar of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born on October 16, 1861, in County Monaghan, Ireland, Bury distinguished himself through his profound contributions to the study of history, particularly the Roman Empire. His erudition earned him the Regius Professorship of Modern History at Cambridge University, a position he held with great distinction from 1902 until his death on June 1, 1927. Bury's historiographical approach was characterized by meticulous research and a commitment to presenting history as a rigorous science. He was influenced by the German school of historical thought, which emphasized critical analysis of sources, and he sought to apply scientific methods to his investigations of the past. One of Bury's seminal works, 'History of the Eastern Roman Empire' is an exemplar of his scholarly rigor. In it, Bury meticulously details the narrative of the Byzantine Empire from the fall of Irene to the accession of Basil I, covering the period between 802 and 867 CE, and contributing immensely to the understanding of Byzantine history. Bury's literary style combines the precision of the academic with the narrative sensibility of a storyteller, making his work both a scholarly resource and a compelling read. His other notable works include 'The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians', 'A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great', and 'The Idea of Progress; An Inquiry into its Origin and Growth', all of which further cement his legacy as a historian of remarkable breadth and depth.