Published to honor Peter Brown, who almost single-handedly established Late Antiquity as its own, vibrant field of study, this volume contains 17 essays that address how society adapted to the enormous cultural and religious shifts of the time, particularly with regard to the pagan world. Written by an international group of scholars (two of the articles are in Italian, one is in French), the essays discuss topics that include changes in the meaning of the city of Rome as seen from 6th-century Byzantium, changes in Christian attitudes towards images in areas of Muslim rule, the role of writing and monks in attaining heaven, and three articles on Gregory the Great. The notion of transformation is central to the work of Peter Brown, standing in opposition to earlier ideas of the decline that followed the Roman era. A bibliography of Peter Brown's publications is included. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)