The course looks at the ways in which different types of state formation arose out of the former Roman and Sasanian empires, with especial emphasis on elite formation and the dynamics of power. Discussions are grounded in some general theoretical insights and reading as well as in the sources for the early medieval west, the eastern Roman empire, and the early Islamic caliphate, with the emphasis on Byzantium. We also consider environmental, geographical and climatic features of state development. The aim is to situate the states that developed in these three zones in a broader context of state formation over the longue durée.
