Arab-Byzantine Relations under the Umayyad Caliphate and South Caucasus

Abstract

Read September 2016 in preparation for God and Rome. An interesting if old piece trying to pick out what can be known of Umayyad-Byzantine relations beyond warfare. this constitutes some use of archaeology and a criticism of the geographical and military focus of chronicle writing. The thrust of the argument comes, though, then Gibb argues, contrary to other historians using the Arab sources that just because the two states were at war this should not falsify claims in the sources that, for example, the Caliph sent 2000 dinars of pepper to the Emperor or that the emperor sent tesserae and mosaicists to help decorate the great Umayyad religious buildings. Instead, it is argued, such relations went on fairly unhindered. Moreover, the Umayyad's, Gibb argues, were trying to fit themselves for takepver by Byzantium by learning its ways. Only after the last failed siege of the City in 718 did the cultural leaning of the Umayyads tend more firmly towards the east, Iraq and the legacy of the Sasanians.