"In eleven in-depth essays and over 500 encyclopedia entries, an international cast of experts provides essential information and fresh perspectives on the history and culture of an era marked by the rise of two world religions, unprecedented political upheavals that remade the map of the known world, and the creation of art of enduring glory." "By extending the commonly accepted chronological and territorial boundaries of the period - to encompass Roman, Byzantine, Sassanian, and early Islamic cultures, from the middle of the third century to the end of the eighth - this guide makes new connections and permits revealing comparisons."--Jacket.