Byzantine Libya and the March of the Arabs Towards the West of North Africa

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This study on a critical period of Libyan and North African history represents an attempt to integrate the Christian, mainly Byzantine, sources with the Arabic ones in order to present a coherent picture of the transition from the Greco-Latin-Berber culture of the Mediterranean coastlands of Libya and adjacent regions to the gradual establishment of an Arab-directed regime. In order to examine the Arab raids into this region, and then its permanent conquest by more organised military forces, the author synthesizes evidence from many disparate sources, including Byzantine and Arabic literary texts, epigraphic texts and archaeological remains. Emphasis is placed on the naval and military factors involved in the raiding and conquest process, including an examination of the weaknesses of the Byzantine naval policy and defensive mentality. The volume closes by identifying enduring qualities and concepts (pre- and post-Islamic conquest) which characterize North African culture today.