The Emperor Theophilos and the East, 829–842 Court and Frontier in Byzantium during the Last Phase of Iconoclasm

This book focuses on the impact of political relations with the East, especially the Muslim caliphate, on the reign of the last iconoclast emperor of Byzantium, Theophilos (829-842), reinterpreting the major events of the period and their chronology. Separate sections are devoted to the influence of Armenians at the court, the enrolment of Persian rebels against the caliphate in the Byzantine army, the continuous warfare with the Arabs and the cultural exchange with Baghdad, the Khazar problem, and the attitude of the Christian Melkites towards the iconoclast emperor. The final chapter reassesses the image of the emperor as a good ruler, building on the conclusions of the previous sections.