John Lydus and the Roman Past offers a new interpretation of the emergence of Byzantine society as viewed through the eyes of John Lydus, a sixth-century scholar and civil servant. Maas show that control of classical inheritance was politically contested in the reign of Justinian. He demonstrates how the past could be used to convey legitimacy and social definition at a time of profound change.

Late Antiquity (ca. 250-650) witnessed the transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. Christianity displaced polytheism over a wide area, offering new definitions of identity and community. The Roman Empire collapsed in Western Europe to be replaced by new "Germanic" kingdoms. In the East, Byzantium emerged, while the Persian Empire reached its apogee and collapsed. Arab armies carrying the banner of Islam reshaped the political map and brought the late antique era to a close.

This sourcebook illustrates the dramatic political, social and religious transformations of Late Antiquity through the words of the men and women who experienced them. Drawing from Greek, Latin, Syriac, Hebrew, Coptic, Persian, Arabic and Armenian sources, the carefully chosen passages illuminate the lives of emperors, abbesses, aristocrats, slaves, children, barbarian chieftains, and saints. The Roman Empire is kept at the centre of the discussion, with chapters devoted to its government, cities, army, law, medicine, domestic life, philosophy, Christianity, polytheism, and Jews. Further chapters deal with the peoples who surrounded the Roman state: Persians, Huns, northern "Germanic" barbarians, and the followers of Islam.

This revised and updated second edition provides an expanded view of Late Antiquity with a new chapter on domestic life, as well extra material throughout, including passages that appear for the first time in English translation. Readings in Late Antiquity is the only sourcebook that covers such a wide range of topics over the full breadth of the late antique period.

Michael Maas' study of John Lydus, a retired official at Justinian's court, reveals that Lydus' antiquarian treatises are a neglected source for understanding the intellectual and social tensions of the transitional age of Justinian. During the first half of the sixth century AD, the late Roman Empire at Constantinople was redefining itself in Christian terms. This entailed a reconsideration of the classical legacy. Justininan's policies put pressure on the intellectual elite to make cultural choices with a new urgency. Lydus was torn between allegiance to an urban-based tradition of knowledge and education that was being undercut by Justinian, and to the autocratic figure of the emperor, whom he hoped would restore society to its former greatness. Lydus' simultaneous adherence to the past tradition - a classicism which could be confused with paganism - and participation in the emerging Byzantine society was an ambivalence which reflected the tensions of his age. Maas demonstrates that from Lydus' treatment of the past in the political flux of the present we learn about the Byzantine future. This book should be of interest to students and teachers of Roman and early medieval histor

A re-examination of the social processes behind religious conversions in the Ancient and Early Middle Ages. This volume explores religious conversion in late antique and early medieval Europe at a time when the utility of the concept is vigorously debated. Though conversion was commonly represented by ancient and early medieval writersas singular and personally momentous mental events, contributors to this volume find gradual and incomplete social processes lurking behind their words. A mixture of examples and approaches will both encourage a deepening of specialist knowledge and spark new thinking across a variety of sub-fields. The historical settings treated here stretch from the Roman Hellenism of Justin Martyr in the second century to the ninth-century programs of religious and moral correction by resourceful Carolingian reformers. Baptismal orations, funerary inscriptions, Christian narratives about the conversion of stage-performers, a bronze statue of Constantine, early Byzantine ethnographic writings, and re-located relics are among the book's imaginative points of entry. This focused collection of essays by leading scholars, and the afterword by Neil McLynn, should ignite conversations among students of religious conversion andrelated processes of cultural interaction, diffusion, and change both in the historical sub-fields of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages and well beyond. This book is one of two collections of essays on religious conversion drawn from the activities of the Shelby Cullum Davis Center for Historical Studies at Princeton University between 1999 and 2001. The other volume, Conversion: Old Worlds and New, is also published by the Universityof Rochester Press. Contributors: Susan Elm, Anthony Grafton, Richard Lim, Rebecca Lyman, Michael Maas, Neil McLynn, Kenneth Mills, Eric Rebillard, Julia M. H. Smith, Raymond Van Dam.

Late Antiquity (ca. 250-650) witnessed the transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. Christianity displaced polytheism over a wide area, offering new definitions of identity and community. The Roman Empire collapsed in Western Europe to be replaced by new "Germanic" kingdoms. In the East, Byzantium emerged, while the Persian Empire reached its apogee and collapsed. Arab armies carrying the banner of Islam reshaped the political map and brought the late antique era to a close.

This sourcebook illustrates the dramatic political, social and religious transformations of Late Antiquity through the words of the men and women who experienced them. Drawing from Greek, Latin, Syriac, Hebrew, Coptic, Persian, Arabic and Armenian sources, the carefully chosen passages illuminate the lives of emperors, abbesses, aristocrats, slaves, children, barbarian chieftains, and saints . The Roman Empire is kept at the centre of the discussion, with chapters devoted to its government, cities, army, law, medicine, domestic life, philosophy, Christianity, polytheism, and Jews. Further chapters deal with the peoples who surrounded the Roman state: Persians, Huns, northern "Germanic" barbarians, and the followers of Islam.

This revised and updated second edition provides an expanded view of Late Antiquity with a new chapter on domestic life, as well extra material throughout, including passages that appear for the first time in English translation. Readings in Late Antiquity is the only sourcebook that covers such a wide range of topics over the full breadth of the late antique period.

Empires and Exchanges in Eurasian Late Antiquity offers an integrated picture of Rome, China, Iran, and the Steppes during a formative period of world history. In the half millennium between 250 and 750 CE, settled empires underwent deep structural changes, while various nomadic peoples of the steppes (Huns, Avars, Turks, and others) experienced significant interactions and movements that changed their societies, cultures, and economies. This was a transformational era, a time when Roman, Persian, and Chinese monarchs were mutually aware of court practices, and when Christians and Buddhists criss-crossed the Eurasian lands together with merchants and armies. It was a time of greater circulation of ideas as well as material goods. This volume provides a conceptual frame for locating these developments in the same space and time. Without arguing for uniformity, it illuminates the interconnections and networks that tied countless local cultural expressions to far-reaching inter-regional ones.

This book examines the age of Attila, roughly the fifth century CE, an era in which western Eurasia experienced significant geopolitical and cultural changes. The Roman Empire collapsed in western Europe, replaced by new 'barbarian' kingdoms, but it continued in Christian Byzantine guise in the eastern Mediterranean. New states and peoples changed the face of northern Europe, while in Iran, the Sasanian Empire developed new theories of power and government. At the same time, the great Eurasian steppe became a permanent presence in the European world. This book treats Attila, the notorious king of the Huns, as both an agent of change and a symbol of the wreck of the old world order.

This book examines the age of Attila, roughly the fifth century CE, an era in which western Eurasia experienced significant geopolitical and cultural changes. The Roman Empire collapsed in western Europe, replaced by new 'barbarian' kingdoms, but it continued in Christian Byzantine guise in the eastern Mediterranean. New states and peoples changed the face of northern Europe, while in Iran, the Sasanian Empire developed new theories of power and government. At the same time, the great Eurasian steppe became a permanent presence in the European world. This book treats Attila, the notorious king of the Huns, as both an agent of change and a symbol of the wreck of the old world order.

This book introduces the Age of Justinian, the last Roman century and the first flowering of Byzantine culture. Dominated by the policies and personality of emperor Justinian I (527-565), this period of grand achievements and far-reaching failures witnessed the transformation of the Mediterranean world. In this volume, twenty specialists explore the most important aspects of the age including the mechanics and theory of empire, warfare, urbanism, and economy. It also discusses the impact of the great plague, the codification of Roman law, and the many religious upheavals taking place at the time. Consideration is given to imperial relations with the papacy, northern barbarians, the Persians, and other eastern peoples, shedding new light on a dramatic and highly significant historical period.

Absatzweg bzw. Distributionsmix werden in der vorliegenden Arbeit in origi neller Weise behandelt, indem die Begriffsdiskussion de facto davon ausgeht, daB es sich urn Wahrnehmungskonstrukte handelt, fur die unterschiedliche Moglichkeiten der Operationalisierung analysiert werden. Der Verfasser schlieBt damit eine Lucke in der Literatur zur Theorie des Ab satzes, die trotz bzw. gerade wegen einer Vielzahl von Publikationen zu Einzel fragen der Absatzmethode in der Vergangenheit entstanden ist., Die Elementarprobleme einer Theoriebildung in diesem Bereich stehen dabei im Mittelpunkt des Interesses. Besondere Beachtung verdient in diesem Zu sammenhang das Aufzeigen der Unmoglichkeit, die Absatzmethode als Ent scheidungsvariable, als Controlled Variable, aufzufassen. Ihrer Struktur nach ist sie - im Sinne der Entscheidungstheorie - ein "Ergebnis." Mit dem Heraus arbeiten von insgesamt acht Dimensionsarten zur Operationalisierung ist die Arbeit urn verstehende Interpretation bemuht und macht zugleich deutlich, welche Aspekte des Gesamtproblems in den insgesamt sieben verschiedenen Modelltypen zur Absatzmethode jeweils vernachlassigt werden. Eine derart vergleichende Wertung von unterschiedlichen Modellierungsrichtungen liegt bislang in der Literatur nicht vor. RUDOLF GOMBEL Die Arbeit ist 1978 als Dissertation am Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitat, Frankfurt a. M., angenommen worden. Gutachter waren Prof. Dr. Rudolf Gumbel und Prof. Dr. Klaus Peter Kaas. Die Literaturauswertung wurde 1978 beendet. Ich danke an dieser Stelle allen, die mich bei dieser Arbeit unterstutzt haben, insbesondere jedoch meiner Frau sowie Herrn Prof. Dr. R. Gumbel fur ihr hohes MaB an Verstandnis, das sie mir entgegengebracht haben. RAINER-MICHAEL MAAS I nhaltsverzeichnis Geleitwort von Prof. Dr. RUDOLF GOMBEL V Abkurzungsverzeichnis ....... ."

Empires and Exchanges in Eurasian Late Antiquity offers an integrated picture of Rome, China, Iran, and the Steppes during a formative period of world history. In the half millennium between 250 and 750 CE, settled empires underwent deep structural changes, while various nomadic peoples of the steppes (Huns, Avars, Turks, and others) experienced significant interactions and movements that changed their societies, cultures, and economies. This was a transformational era, a time when Roman, Persian, and Chinese monarchs were mutually aware of court practices, and when Christians and Buddhists criss-crossed the Eurasian lands together with merchants and armies. It was a time of greater circulation of ideas as well as material goods. This volume provides a conceptual frame for locating these developments in the same space and time. Without arguing for uniformity, it illuminates the interconnections and networks that tied countless local cultural expressions to far-reaching inter-regional ones.

Bachelorarbeit aus dem Jahr 2011 im Fachbereich BWL - Bank, Borse, Versicherung, Note: 2,8, Europaische Fernhochschule Hamburg, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Die Thesis soll die Ziele der SEPA Initiative im Allgemeinen vorstellen und sich dann auf den Teilbereich der Lastschriften, die in Deutschland ein bedeutendes Zahlungsmittel darstellt, spezialisieren. Hierzu soll sowohl das SEPA Direct Debit Core (SDD) Verfahren und das deutsche Lastschriftverfahren verglichen bzw. erlautert sowie die Vor- und Nachteile herausgearbeitet werden. Dazu wird im ersten Schritt die deutsche Lastschrift vorgestellt. Es werden die rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen der deutschen Lastschrift, sowie Zahlen und Fakten dargestellt. Als nachstes werden die beiden SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) Verfahren Core und B2B vorgestellt. Der Schwerpunkt ist auf das Core oder auch Basis Verfahren genannt gerichtet, was die Beziehung zwischen Unternehmen und Privatpersonen regelt. In der Praxis wird dieses sehr haufig z. B. bei Mieten, Gas- und Stromabschlage, Mitgliedsbeitrage, B2C im Internet, Telefon- und Mobilfunkabrechnungen sowie in der Mehrzahl der Kartenzahlungsverfahren verwendet und somit einen grossen Anteil an der Transaktionsanzahl ausmacht. Im nachsten Schritt werden die Unterschiede der beiden Verfahren gegenubergestellt. Zur Einschatzung der zukunftigen Entwicklung des SDD Verfahrens wurde eine Expertenbefragung durchgefuhrt. Dazu wurde bei Vertretern der deutschen Kreditwirtschaft, der Privatwirtschaft und deren personlichen Erfahrungen bzw. Meinungen eingeholt. Diese sollte sowohl die Akzeptanz und Nutzung in der privaten Wirtschaft und in der Kreditwirtschaft aus heutiger Sicht darstellen, aber auch die daraus resultierenden Moglichkeiten und Risiken aufzeigen. Auch wurde hinterfragt, ob durch die Vereinheitlichung in Europa die Privatwirtschaft Kostenvorteile erwartet und Prozessoptimierungen durchfuhren wird. Die Thesis wird sich ebenfalls der Frage widmen, ob SEPA Direct Debit den Unter

...Produktinnovationen und neue Vertriebswege m ssen nachdr cklich unterst tzt werden. Dazu wollen wir die Rahmenbedingungen f r neue Anlageklassen in Deutschland schaffen. Dazu geh ren: Die Einf hrung von Real Estate Investment Trusts unter der Bedingung, dass die verl ssliche Besteuerung beim Anleger sichergestellt wird und positive Wirkungen auf den Immobilienmarkt und Standortbedingungen zu erwarten sind..." Nach dem Wortlaut des Koalitionsvertrages zwischen SPD und CDU wird damit einer Einf hrung von Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) grunds tzlich zugestimmt. Dennoch hat es eine Zeit lang gedauert bis das genaue Datum der Einf hrung, r ckwirkend zum 01.01.2007, feststand. Diskussionen ber die Ausgestaltung und steuerlichen Auswirkungen der REITs sind der Grund f r den verz gerten Termin. Die nun aber feststehende Einf hrung des REIT-Konzeptes in Deutschland hat grundlegenden Einfluss auf die gesamte Immobilienwirtschaft. Im zweiten Kapitel dieser Arbeit werden dem Leser dazu der aktuelle deutsche Gesetzesentwurf und ausgew hlte internationale Gesetze zum REIT vorgestellt. Der Leser kann sich dadurch einen berblick ber die Besonderheiten in Deutschland und die Erfolgsfaktoren der internationalen REIT-Strukturen verschaffen. Au erdem wird in diesem Kapitel ein Vergleich zwischen den etablierten Finanzierungsvehikeln Deutschlands und dem REIT aufgestellt. Im dritten Kapitel werden die Besonderheiten der Wohnungswirtschaft definiert. Dabei wird zwischen der kommunalen und nicht kommunalen Wohnungswirtschaft unterschieden Obwohl der Gesetzgeber aktuell ein Investitionsverbot von REITs in Wohnimmobilien vorgibt, werden im vierten Kapitel mittels ausgew hlter Kriterien die Chancen und Risiken der Wohnungswirtschaft als ein Teil der Immobilienwirtschaft nach der Einf hrung des REIT-Konzeptes untersucht. Besondere Beachtung wird dabei immer wieder der kommunalen Wohnungswirtschaft geschenkt. Es wird herausgearbeitet, was f r die kommunalen Vertreter der Wohnungswirt

For today's busy student, we've created a new line of highly portable books at affordable prices. Each title in the Books a la Carte Plus program features the exact same content from our traditional textbook in a convenient notebook-ready, loose-leaf version - allowing students to take only what they need to class. As an added bonus, each Books a la Carte Plus edition is accompanied by an access code to all of the resources found in one of our best-selling multimedia products. Best of all? Our Books a la Carte Plus titles cost less than a used textbook! "The West: Encounters & Transformations" takes a new approach to telling the story of Western Civilization. Rather than looking at Western Civilization only as the history of Europe from ancient times to the present, this groundbreaking book examines the changing nature of the West-how the definition of the West has evolved and transformed throughout history. The text presents a balanced treatment of political, social, religious, and cultural history and emphasizes the ever-shifting boundaries of the geographic and cultural realm of the West. Overview of Western Civilization. Readers interested in the history and development of Western Civilization.