Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500

Description

Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500 provides a comprehensive survey of this complex and varied formative period of European history. Covering themes as diverse as barbarian migrations, the impact of Christianization, the formation of nations and states, the emergence of an expansionist commercial economy, the growth of cities, the Crusades, the effects of plague, and the intellectual and cultural life of the Middle Ages, the book explores the driving forces behind the formation of medieval society and the directions in which it developed and changed. In doing this, the authors cover a wide geographic expanse, including Western interactions with the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic World. This third edition contains a wealth of new features within the book and on the companion website that help to bring this fascinating era to life, including: In the book: A historiographical overview at the start of each chapter Clear signposting and extended discussions of key topics such as feudalism and gender Expanded geographic coverage into Eastern Europe and the Middle East On the companion website - www.routledge.com/cw/blockmans: An interactive map, which will allow students to engage with the geographical framework of medieval Europe and beyond An extended bibliography New chapter resources, suggested medieval films and novels to be assigned alongside each chapter. The companion website is a free resource which also features, for instructors, assignable discussion questions and all of the images and maps in the book available to download, and for students, a comparative interactive timeline of the period and links to useful websites. Clear and stimulating, the third edition of Introduction to Medieval Europe is the ideal companion to studying Europe in the Middle Ages at undergraduate level. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of illustrations List of boxes Illustration acknowledgements Introduction The Middle Ages as a period in European history From scarcity to hegemony Medievalism The book’s arrangement Part I: The early Middle Ages, 300–1000 1 The end of the Roman Empire in the West Governing an empire Taxation and fiscal policy The Roman army and the frontier Economic structure and prosperity The barbarian world of the North The collapse of the Roman order in the West The later Migration Period Migrations and ethnogenesis The barbarian kingdoms in the West Balance: the end of Roman civilisation? The survival of the Roman Empire in the East Points to remember Suggestions for further reading 2 The establishment of two world religions: Christianity and Islam The Christian Church in the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages The relationship between emperor and pope Material wealth, accumulation and distribution Church organisation Monasticism Orthodoxy and heterodoxy Saints and miracles Spreading the faith The Arab conquests and the establishment of Islam Suggestions for further reading Points to remember 3 The powerful and the poor: society and economy in the Frankish kingdoms and beyond Warlords and landlords Trade and gift-exchange Early medieval politics: the Carolingian core Dynamic peripheries Points to remember Suggestions for further reading Part II: The central Middle Ages, 1000–1300 4 Early kingdoms and principalities Charlemagne’s legacy The making of England Iberia The institutionalisation of the state Points to remember Suggestions for further reading 5 Accelerated growth Population growth Volume and nature of agricultural production New types of local lordship Knights and peasants: image and reality Points to remember Suggestions for further reading 6 Religious reform and renewal Aspirations to reform The papal monarchy Reformation and renewal in monastic life The faithful become visible Points to remember Suggestions for further reading Part III: Expansion and maturation, 1000–1500 7 The beginnings of European expansion The West becomes more aggressive Clashes of civilisations: crusaders, Muslims and Mongols Take-off to a commercial revolution Points to remember Suggestions for further reading 8 Thinking about man and the world The medieval view of the world and mankind The higher education programme of Late Antiquity and its survival in the early Middle Ages The formation of universities The humanism of the late Middle Ages Points to remember Suggestions for further reading 9 Towns and the urbanisation of medieval society The phenomenon of the pre-industrial town The beginnings of urban society Autonomy and liberty Urban society and economy in the later Middle Ages Points to remember Suggestions for further reading Part IV: The late Middle Ages, 1300–1500 10 Between crisis and contraction: population, economy and society War, famine and pestilence Demographic decline and economic development Characteristics of late medieval society Social contrasts and social conflicts Points to remember Suggestions for further reading 11 The consolidation of states From suzerainty to sovereignty The course of events Driving forces in the formation of states State institutions and social order Points to remember Suggestions for further reading 12 Crisis in the Church and the reorientation of the faithful Who leads Christendom? The popes in Avignon and the bureaucratisation of the Curia The Great Schism and the conciliar movement Religious life Points to remember Suggestions for further reading Epilogue Acceleration The medieval roots of modern culture Timeline Glossary Bibliography of secondary literature Index