Basil Argyros
Encyclopedia
Agent of Byzantium is a collection of short stories by Harry Turtledove
, centred around the exploits of the eponymous Basil Argyros, a Byzantine
secret agent. The stories are set in an alternate 14th century, where Islam
never existed and the great ancient empires of Byzantium (the Eastern Roman Empire) and Sassanid Persia survive.
In this universe, the Prophet Muhammad
(Mouamet), instead of developing Islam
, converted to Christianity
and became a celebrated prelate and saint. Without the Muslim conquests
, the Eastern Roman Empire remained the pre-eminent power in the Mediterranean world. The emperor Constans II
subdued the Lombards
in Italy, and the Iberian peninsula
(Ispania) and the southern coast of Gaul were also recovered. Most of Gaul, Britain and Germania are in "barbarian" hands, and have broken away from Byzantine orthodoxy, following the doctrine of filioque and a separate line of Popes. In the East, the Byzantines are still—as it was in our history
up to the advent of Islam—involved in a never-ending cold war
(occasionally flaring up into actual fighting) with its Persian arch-enemy, represented in the series by the female spy Mirrane.
Argyros works as an army scout, and later as a magistrianos
for the Master of Offices
, under the (fictional) Emperor Nikephoros III, and as such is sent across the Empire to solve problems — sometimes as a spy, sometimes as a negotiator, and sometimes as a soldier. The cover of the 1994 re-issue compares Argyros to James Bond
and Dominic Flandry
.
The first six stories comprise the first edition of Agent of Byzantium, published in 1987 by Congdon & Weed. "Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire" and "Departures" were first published in the Departures
collection in 1993. "Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire" was included in the second edition of Agent of Byzantium, published in 1994 by Baen Books
. "The Eyes of Argos" was also published in the There Will Be War IV: Guns of Darkness collection in 1987.
praised Turtledove as "a very talented science fiction writer, with a gift for finding a way to present a fascinating idea through strong, believable characters."
is projected seven centuries into the future. In each story, several familiar inventions and social institutions crop up far ahead of schedule, and under very different circumstances than they did in our world. Among these are:
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.- Life :...
, centred around the exploits of the eponymous Basil Argyros, a Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
secret agent. The stories are set in an alternate 14th century, where Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
never existed and the great ancient empires of Byzantium (the Eastern Roman Empire) and Sassanid Persia survive.
Setting
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Mouamet), instead of developing Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and became a celebrated prelate and saint. Without the Muslim conquests
Muslim conquests
Muslim conquests also referred to as the Islamic conquests or Arab conquests, began with the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He established a new unified polity in the Arabian Peninsula which under the subsequent Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates saw a century of rapid expansion of Muslim power.They...
, the Eastern Roman Empire remained the pre-eminent power in the Mediterranean world. The emperor Constans II
Constans II
Constans II , also called Constantine the Bearded , was Byzantine emperor from 641 to 668. He also was the last emperor to become consul in 642, becoming the last Roman consul in history....
subdued the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
in Italy, and the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
(Ispania) and the southern coast of Gaul were also recovered. Most of Gaul, Britain and Germania are in "barbarian" hands, and have broken away from Byzantine orthodoxy, following the doctrine of filioque and a separate line of Popes. In the East, the Byzantines are still—as it was in our history
Roman-Persian Wars
The Roman–Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between states of the Greco-Roman world and two successive Iranic empires: the Parthian and the Sassanid. Contact between the Parthian Empire and the Roman Republic began in 92 BC; wars began under the late Republic, and continued...
up to the advent of Islam—involved in a never-ending cold war
Cold war (general term)
A cold war or cold warfare is a state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action but is pursued primarily through economic and political actions, propaganda, acts of espionage or proxy wars waged by surrogates...
(occasionally flaring up into actual fighting) with its Persian arch-enemy, represented in the series by the female spy Mirrane.
Argyros works as an army scout, and later as a magistrianos
Agentes in rebus
The agentes in rebus , were the late Roman imperial courier service and general agents of the central government from the 4th to the 7th centuries.- History :...
for the Master of Offices
Magister officiorum
The magister officiorum was one of the most senior administrative officials in the late Roman Empire and the early centuries of the Byzantine Empire...
, under the (fictional) Emperor Nikephoros III, and as such is sent across the Empire to solve problems — sometimes as a spy, sometimes as a negotiator, and sometimes as a soldier. The cover of the 1994 re-issue compares Argyros to James Bond
James Bond (character)
Royal Navy Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. He is the main protagonist of the James Bond series of novels, films, comics and video games...
and Dominic Flandry
Dominic Flandry
Dominic Flandry is the central character in the second half of Poul Anderson's Technic History science fiction. He first appeared in 1951.The space opera series is set in the 31st century, during the waning days of the Terran Empire...
.
Stories and publication history
Stories in the Agent of Byzantium universe (in order written) are:- "Unholy Trinity", first published in the July 1985 issue of Amazing Science Fiction Stories. It takes place on Etos Kosmou 6824 (AD 1315/16) in the Abbey of Saint Gall
- "Archetypes", first published in the November 1985 issue of Amazing Science Fiction Stories. It takes place on Etos Kosmou 6825 (AD 1316/17) in the frontier city of DaraDara (Mesopotamia)Dara or Daras was an important East Roman fortress city in northern Mesopotamia on the border with the Sassanid Empire. Because of its great strategic importance, it featured prominently in the Roman-Persian conflicts of the 6th century, with the famous Battle of Dara taking place before its walls...
- "The Eyes of Argos", first published in the January 1986 issue of Amazing Science Fiction Stories. It takes place on Etos Kosmou 6814 (AD 1305/6), dealing with an invasion by nomadic Jurchens across the Danube frontier
- "Strange Eruptions", first published in the August 1986 issue of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. It takes place on Etos Kosmou 6816 (AD 1307/8), and is set during an epidemic in ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
- "Images", first published in the March 1987 issue of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. It takes place on Etos Kosmou 6826 (AD 1317/18) and is set in Constantinople during an ecumenical councilEcumenical councilAn ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice....
dealing with the question of iconoclasmIconoclasmIconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes... - "Superwine", first published in the April 1987 issue of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. It takes place on Etos Kosmou 6829 (AD 1320/21), and takes place in AlaniaAlaniaAlania may refer to:*Alania, the medieval state of the Alans or Alani people in the North Caucasus*The short name of the modern North Ossetia-Alania, one of the Caucasian republics in the Russian Federation...
- "Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire", first published in the December 1989 issue of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. It takes place on Etos Kosmou 6818 (AD 1309/10), and takes place in AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
- "Departures", first published in the January 1989 issue of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. It is the only story that does not feature Argyros, and instead focuses on the future St. Mouamet during his time in a monastery in Syria
The first six stories comprise the first edition of Agent of Byzantium, published in 1987 by Congdon & Weed. "Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire" and "Departures" were first published in the Departures
Departures (collection)
Departures is a collection of alternate history stories by Harry Turtledove, first published in paperback by Ballantine Books in June 1993. It was reprinted by Ballantine in 1998....
collection in 1993. "Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire" was included in the second edition of Agent of Byzantium, published in 1994 by Baen Books
Baen Books
Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
. "The Eyes of Argos" was also published in the There Will Be War IV: Guns of Darkness collection in 1987.
Reception
Orson Scott CardOrson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
praised Turtledove as "a very talented science fiction writer, with a gift for finding a way to present a fascinating idea through strong, believable characters."
Differences
Turtledove, who has a PhD in Byzantine history, created a historically familiar setting for the series, where the world of Late AntiquityLate Antiquity
Late Antiquity is a periodization used by historians to describe the time of transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in both mainland Europe and the Mediterranean world. Precise boundaries for the period are a matter of debate, but noted historian of the period Peter Brown proposed...
is projected seven centuries into the future. In each story, several familiar inventions and social institutions crop up far ahead of schedule, and under very different circumstances than they did in our world. Among these are:
- The telescopeTelescopeA telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
, discovered among the shamans of the Jurchen nomads who threaten the Empire from the north - VaccinationVaccinationVaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
for smallpoxSmallpoxSmallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, which is discovered during a terrible plague afflicting Constantinople itself - Trade unions and strikesStrike actionStrike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, appearing first among the builders engaged in the dangerous erection of a great lighthouse in AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
(an Egyptian village, Deir el-Medina, is where the first recorded strike in history occurred in 1152 BC) - Black powder, developed by the monks in the Abbey of St. GallAbbey of St. GallThe Abbey of Saint Gall is a religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 and became an independent principality during the 13th century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was...
and used with great effect by the empire's FrankishFranksThe Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
enemies — until stolen by Argyros, with the help of agents from an Anglo-SaxonAnglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which has known no Norman Conquest - PrintingPrintingPrinting is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, invented by the empire's Persian enemies and used to foment sedition and dissension inside its borders, until this secret is also apprehended by Argyros. - DistillingDistillationDistillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
invented by a wine-seller in Constantinople and purchased for the empire by Argyros. (This is anachronistic as the process was actually well known to GreekGreeksThe Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
alchemists from the 1st century AD.)