拜占庭与西欧中世纪：詹姆斯·霍华德-约翰斯通教授的拜占庭史观

Byzantium and the Medieval West:Prof.James Howard-Johnston’s Perspectives of Byzantine History

本文从3个方面归纳英国学者詹姆斯·霍华德一约翰斯通的拜占庭史观。1、4—7世纪拜占庭的社会变迁和军区制的改革归因于草原游牧民族大迁徙引起的“蝶震”；2、10—11世纪间小农经济和军区制的衰落，迫使拜占庭皇帝们从约束权力和控制资源两个方面下手，加大与权贵斗争的力度，但收效甚微；3、拜占庭的外交倾向，即在整个中世纪时期对西方世界事务的关注，是受“统一的罗马帝国”这一意识形态观念支配的；与此同时，在对付来自东方和北方的草原部族时，外交上的实用性和灵活性保证了拜占庭在艰难的环境中顽强生存下来。

In September-2006,Oxford University Byzantinist Dr.James Howard-Johnston delivered a series of lectures on'Byzantine and the Medieval West'in Northeast Normal University. The main points of these lectures can be concluded as:1.the social transformation and military reform of Byzantium during the 4^(th) to 7^(th) centuries were results of a'butterfly effect'in Eurasian Continent caused by Nomadic Invasion.2.The decline of small-peasant economy and military system forced the emperors of Byzantium to enhance their power and resource control against the power of the nobles and Military strongmen,which turned out,however,of little effect.3.The foreign policies of the Empire during the said period were based on an old'Orbis Romanum'concept.Meanwhile,the practical characters of the Empire helped its survival in dealing with the outside powers.