Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages stood at a crossroads of trade and crusading routes, within the sphere of influence of both the Byzantine Orthodox Church and Latin Christendom. This innovative and expansive survey draws on historical and archaeological sources in the narration of 750 years of the region's history. Among a number of key themes it addresses the rise of medieval states, the conversion to Christianity, the monastic movement inspired by developments in Western Europe and in Byzantium and the role of material culture in the representation of power.