xiii Preface The Byzantine Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia is a remarkable resource for high school and undergraduate students as well as for general readers interested in the Byz- antine Empire. The encyclopedia provides the means for readers to investigate the history and culture of the empire that served as a symbol of Christian culture for over 1,000 years. The encyclopedia’s two volumes contain almost 220 entries written by expert contributors and organized into the following eight topical sections: Government and Politics Organization and Administration Individuals Groups and Organizations Key Events Military Objects and Artifacts Key Places Each section begins with an overview essay followed by a wide array of entries designed specifically for a diversity of reader interests. The topic entries are alphabet- ized within each specific section. Each entry contains “See also” cross-references to related entries in that and other sections and concludes with a current bibliography of important related information resources, both print and electronic. The encyclopedia also provides a table of contents permitting easy access to areas of specific interest, a general introduction introducing readers to the general context of Byzantine history, and a chronology of important events. Brief sidebars complement many entries, pro- viding useful and relevant information. Following the thematic sections are numer- ous primary document selections that will be useful for students in preparing projects and presentations and for general readers in becoming acquainted with important sources and with important events and personages of Byzantine history. The encyclo- pedia also includes a select bibliography of useful primary and secondary sources that provide readers with access to the best past and present Byzantine scholarship. Finally, The Byzantine Empire includes a glossary of important terms in Byzantine history that are used in the entries and that may be unfamiliar to student and nonspecialist readers, as well as a general subject index that provides more in-depth access to names and terms mentioned in the text of the entries.
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