This interplay between continuity with the ancient world and stark differences from it makes Late Antiquity a unique historical period. The later Roman Empire was in many ways an extension of the earlier period, replicating and repeating similar trends in governance, culture, and even religion. Yet the Roman state continued to function, at least in the East, and many still saw themselves as a part of the classical Mediterranean order. The cultural focus on the eastern Mediterranean, the rise of Christianity, and new forms of Roman governance indicate some ways in which people from this period thought of themselves as being different from what was seen in the ancient world. Historians have carved out roughly 150 to 750 CE as the period of Late Antiquity and view it as a time of vibrant transformation in the Mediterranean, rather than simply Rome’s decline and fall. This situation set the stage for the emergence in the following period of smaller but still disruptive states. Meanwhile, in the East, the Sasanian Empire emerged with its own vibrant culture and vied with the Byzantines for supremacy. This duality was exemplified in the reign of the emperor Justinian, who sought to reconquer the old empire. The Roman Empire morphed into the Byzantine Empire, possessing a culture that looked to both its Roman past and its Christian present. The period of Late Antiquity witnessed the height of two great competing empires.

Analyze the relationship between the Roman Empire and Sasanian Persia in Late Antiquity.

Describe Sasanian culture and society in Late Antiquity.Explain the evolution of the Byzantine Empire in Late Antiquity.By the end of this section, you will be able to:

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