Why Rome Fell

12 “Late Antiquity”

Late Antiquity is a period label that originated with Peter Brown 1971 in his book titled The World of Late Antiquity. Initially subtitled From Marcus Aurelius to Muhammad, the period covered was subsequently extended in both directions to run from 150 to 750. There is no agreement on the precise extent of Late Antiquity. However, despite the association of the word “late” with death and decay, its protagonists have staked out a claim for Late Antiquity as an autonomous period as neither a debased version of the Roman Empire nor a “Dark Age” of any kind. Rejecting the twin notions of “decline and fall” and “dark ages”, the proponents of “late antiquity” depict it in a positive light and in glowing colors, comprising new and improved forms of art, culture, philosophy, religion, society, economics, and politics. What emerges is not only a thoroughly upbeat, positive picture of growth and creativity, but also the subjective view that all these developments were “good,” and anything countering them “bad.”

Late Antiquity: Some of the Chief Claims

This chapter evaluates some of the main claims made on behalf of Late Antiquity by its chief protagonist, Peter Brown:

• “The barbarian invasions…brought no widespread destruction”: There is least an admission here that there was such a thing as the “barbarian” invasions, and also, tacitly, that they brought some destruction. These pretty basic admissions are only worth noting because the writer concerned is generally ...