Tabla de Contenidos:
  • Introduction
  • 1. The world's two eyes: Iran, Rome, and the pursuit of world empire. The geographical focus ; Iran, the Greeks, and polytheist Rome ; Sasanian universalism
  • 2. Polytheist Rome: toward cultural universalism within empire. Seeds of polytheist universalism ; Alexandria ; Rome ; The third century ; Julian and Helios-Mithras ; Universalism and Rome's identity
  • 3. The fertile crescent: cultural universalism between and beyond empires. The Sabians of Harran ; Judaism ; Manichaeism ; Christianity
  • 4. Constantine: Christian empire and crusade. Antecedents of Christian Rome ; Constantine's strategy ; Empire and Church ; Mission ; Iran
  • 5. The First Byzantine Commonwealth: interactions of political and cultural universalism. The geographical focus ; Iberia and Armenia ; Southern Arabia and Ethiopia ; Nubia ; The Arabs ; Christians of Iran and beyond ; The politico-cultural entity
  • 6. Islam: world empire, then commonwealth. The building of world empire ; Empire and religion ; The Islamic Commonwealth
  • Epilogue.