Hello. I'm interested in knowing if there is a good book/article recommendation on the life of common people in Byzantine Empire, particularly around the Near East?
Something like the family, the kinship, life among the poors, jobs and population, etc. I've seen a lot on Ancient Rome, but I find it a bit hard for Late Antiquity Byzantine. I appreciate any help!
A personal favorite is the aptly-named Daily Life in the Byzantine Empire by Marcus Rautman. It is a well-written resource that covers a wide range of civic-and-society-based topics ranging from housing to humor to education.
There is also the Mothers and Sons, Fathers and Daughters book, which is a collection of letters and poems written by the great Byzantine polymath Michael Psellos of the 11th Century. In this collection, you will find accounts and poems regarding Psellos' family, as well as a number of eyewitness glimpses into daily life within the Empire.
For a more abstract look into understanding daily life, pick up the Byzantine novels Drosilla and Charikles and Digenis Akritas, which were enjoyed by citizens of the Empire for centuries. They are valuable resources for learning about what Byzantine people valued in life, what their ideals were, and what was compelling to them in entertainment and literature. Very fascinating.