Impact of Byzantine reconquest of the West?

I'm looking for some info on the impact the 6th century Byzantine reconquest of Italy and the coast of Spain had not just on those areas but Western Europe in general at that time, namely the rest of Spain, Francia and Britain and Ireland, . The effects can range really into the proceeding century or so. This can include military, architecture, culture, trade, society, state, religion and anything really. Archeological findings are very much appreciated, and if you could perhaps provide evidence that would also be great.

Any books/articles and possibly website recommendations would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

I'm not sure it did have much impact on the western countries, as nations were very insular at that time and only really cared about their immediate neighbours. The only impact that I know of is the bessant, the Byzantine coin minted out of almost pure gold. Bede, upon praising a saintly woman, said that she was "as pure as a bessant".

Mohamed and Charlemagne by Henri Pirenne. :2thumbsup: That's a good book to read on the subject. The biggest impact it had on the west was that it (and the war against Persia) severely weakened the empire leaving it vulnerable to the Muselman (some weird spelling). The Occident was becoming increasingly Hellenized as a result of the expanded Byzantine influence, but that all changed after the rise of Islam triggered the Dark Ages.

Not quite what you're looking for, but here's a book on Southern Italy in the 9th and 10th centuries, i.e. after the Byzantines and before the Normans.

you may find something useful in it. I haven't read it; I only stumbled on it while browsing Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081...lance&n=283155

It may be useful just for the bibliography.

The result for Italy, I'd say, was an opening for the Lombards to enter into territory controlled by the then hugely weakened Ostrogoths, and the establishment of Lombard states that form the basis of modern Northern Italy.

One might even muse that the division in wealth between Northern and Southern Italy started there (some go further and say Hannibal was at its root), but that is pure speculation on my part.

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Originally Posted by The Wizard

One might even muse that the division in wealth between Northern and Southern Italy started there (some go further and say Hannibal was at its root), but that is pure speculation on my part.

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Oh hell if a region of Italy couldn't bounce back in several hundred years there's something seriously wrong. I'm pretty sure the South was plundered by the Muslims and I know the North had Venice but still. After so long I would say the reasons would be cultural.

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Originally Posted by Vladimir

Oh hell if a region of Italy couldn't bounce back in several hundred years there's something seriously wrong. I'm pretty sure the South was plundered by the Muslims and I know the North had Venice but still. After so long I would say the reasons would be cultural.

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Not so much as cultural as economic and demographic. The northern cities had more population, the soil was more fertile, the land trade routes with Byzantium, Germany, France and Spain were open. All this allowed more wealth to flow through the area. The south was more effected by arid conditions and the plundering of both barbarian tribes who lost up north and Muslim raiders from Sicily and north Africa. Between the 5th and 9th centuries, the south was subject to far more warfare than the north and this had its effect as well.