''Agent of Byzantium'' is a 1987 collection of short stories by
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed hi ...
, centered on the exploits of Basil Argyros, a
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
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
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
survive.
Setting
![Argyros map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Argyros_map.png)
In this universe, the
point of divergence
Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...
occurs when the Prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
(Mouamet), instead of developing
Islam, converted to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and became a celebrated prelate and saint. Without the
Muslim conquests
The early Muslim conquests or early Islamic conquests ( ar, الْفُتُوحَاتُ الإسْلَامِيَّة, ), also referred to as the Arab conquests, were initiated in the 7th century by Muhammad, the main Islamic prophet. He estab ...
, the Eastern Roman Empire remained the pre-eminent power in the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
world. The Emperor
Constans II subdued the
Lombards
The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...
in Italy, and the
Iberian peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
(
Ispania) and the southern coast of
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
were also recovered. Most of Gaul,
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
and
Germania are in "barbarian" hands, and have broken away from Byzantine
orthodoxy, following the doctrine of ''
filioque
( ; ) is a Latin term ("and from the Son") added to the original Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (commonly known as the Nicene Creed), and which has been the subject of great controversy between Eastern and Western Christianity. It is a term ...
'' 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 arch-enemy, the
Sassanid Empire, represented in the series by the female spy Mirrane.
Argyros works as an
army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
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
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
and
Dominic Flandry
Dominic Flandry is a fictional character and the protagonist of the second half of Poul Anderson's Technic History science fiction series. He first appeared in 1951.
The space opera series is set in the 31st century, during the waning days of ...
.
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
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances i ...
''. It takes place on ''
Etos Kosmou
The Byzantine calendar, also called the Roman calendar, the Creation Era of Constantinople or the Era of the World ( grc, Ἔτη Γενέσεως Κόσμου κατὰ Ῥωμαίους, also or , abbreviated as ε.Κ.; literal translation of ...
'' 6824 (AD 1315/16) in the
Abbey of Saint Gall
The Abbey of Saint Gall (german: Abtei St. Gallen) is a dissolved abbey (747–1805) in a Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Carolingian-era monastery existed from 719, founded by Saint Othmar on the spot ...
*"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
Dara
Dara is a given name used for both males and females, with more than one origin. Dara is found in the Bible's Old Testament Books of Chronicles. Dara רעwas a descendant of Judah (son of Jacob). (The Bible. 1 Chronicles 2:6). Dara (also known ...
*"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
Jurchen (Manchu: ''Jušen'', ; zh, 女真, ''Nǚzhēn'', ) is a term used to collectively describe a number of East Asian Tungusic-speaking peoples, descended from the Donghu people. They lived in the northeast of China, later known as Manch ...
across the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
frontier
*"Strange Eruptions", first published in the August 1986 issue of ''
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publicatio ...
''. It takes place on ''Etos Kosmou'' 6816 (AD 1307/8), and is set during an epidemic in
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
*"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 council
An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters in which those entitled to vote ar ...
dealing with the question of
iconoclasm
Iconoclasm (from Greek: grc, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, εἰκών + κλάω, lit=image-breaking. ''Iconoclasm'' may also be conside ...
*"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
Alania
*"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
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
*"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 (formerly
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
) 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'' 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 () is an American publishing house for science fiction and fantasy. In science fiction, it emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, and military science fiction. The company was established in 1983 by science fiction publisher an ...
. "The Eyes of Argos" was also published in the ''There Will Be War IV: Guns of Darkness'' collection in 1987.
Reception
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...
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."
"Books to Look For"
''F&SF
''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...
'', May 1987
Differences
Turtledove, who has a PhD in Byzantine history, created a setting for the series in which the world of Late Antiquity
Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...
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 telescope
A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observ ...
, discovered among the shamans
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
of the Jurchen nomads who threaten the Byzantine Empire from the north.
* Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
for smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
, which is discovered during a terrible plague afflicting Constantinople itself.
* Trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
s and strikes, appearing first among the builders engaged in the dangerous rebuilding of a great lighthouse in Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
, Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
(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. Gall
The Abbey of Saint Gall (german: Abtei St. Gallen) is a dissolved abbey (747–1805) in a Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Carolingian-era monastery existed from 719, founded by Saint Othmar on the spot ...
and used with great effect by the empire's Frankish
Frankish may refer to:
* Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture
** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages
* Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany
* East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
enemies—until stolen by Argyros, with the help of agents from an Anglo-Saxon England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
which has known no Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...
.
* Printing
Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ...
, invented by the Byzantine Empire's Persian enemies and used to foment sedition and dissension inside its borders, until this secret is also apprehended by Argyros.
* Distilling
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heating ...
, invented by a wine-seller in Constantinople and purchased for the empire by Argyros.
See also
* '' Germanicus trilogy''
* '' Gunpowder Empire''
* '' Lest Darkness Fall''
* '' Roma Eterna''
* '' Romanitas''
* '' Warlords of Utopia''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Argyros, Basil
Alternate history anthologies
Alternate history characters
Alternate history novels set in ancient Rome
Alternate history short stories
Byzantine Empire in fiction
Novels set in Iran
Novels set in the 14th century
Novels set in the Byzantine Empire
Short story collections by Harry Turtledove
Spy short stories