This book provides both a detailed introduction to the vivid and exciting period of `late antiquity' and a direct challenge to conventional views of the end of the Empire. Praise for the first edition (1993): 'There has never been a general, introductory treatment in English, so Cameron has filled a notable gap ... In the field of ancient history, period surveys are often much more than compilations of recent work, but offer whole new lines of interpretation. [This volume is] no exception.'- History Today 'Cameron's work is a brilliant survey of a changing society in all its different facets - economic, religious, cultural, etc.' - Sunday Telegraph 'The book should be a major reference tool for all kinds of historians of late antiquity and students of this period who are interested in the social, economic, military, religious, philosophical and artistic developments of late antiquity. The author displays remarkable erudition and expertise in dealing with the full range of scholarship on scholarly debates old and new.' - Bryn Mawr Classical Review "The great merit of this second edition lies in the juxtaposition of past and recent scholarship. Cameron outlines scholarly controversies and points out research questions and lacunae. Her book is an excellent introductory text for anyone with an interest in the eastern Mediterranean especially..." - Claudia Eicher, The Journal of Medieval Archaeology