The Early Middle Ages: Europe 400-1000

Description

Oxford University Press, 2001. Reprinted 2003. The Early Middle Ages (400-1000) was one of the most dynamic and crucial periods in the formation of Europe. It covers the transition from the relatively diverse world of Roman Empire in late antiquity to the disparate world of early medieval Europe - where local differences assumed far greater significance, but where the institution of Latin Christianity lent coherence to the successor states. In this book, McKitterick and five other leading historians have collaborated closely to produce a set of thematic interpretations covering politics, society, economy, culture, religion, and Europe and the wider world. Military matters and warfare are treated within these chapters, reflecting their entrenchment in social, economic, and political structures. The definition of 'Europe' is ambiguous in this period, but for the most part 'Europe' coincides with the ever-expanding horizons of Latin Christendom. It also looks at crucial interactions with other areas, such as Scandinavia, eastern Europe, the Islamic Middle East and North Africa, and Byzantium. Providing a coherent view of the most important elements within the period, this book gives a sense of the complexities and excitements of six hundred years of transition. List of Illustrations xii List of Maps xiv List of Contributors xv Introduction / Rosamond McKitterick 1 Context 2 Evidence 4 Events 9 The establishment of the early barbarian kingdoms to Byzantium 15 The emergence of the Carolingians 16 The tenth century 18 1. Politics / Rosamond McKitterick 21 Late Roman political structures 23 The early medieval kingdoms of Europe 24 The king 28 The queen 30 Power and responsibility: consensus 32 The court and closeness to the king 34 Officials and assemblies 36 Law 43 The resources and practicalities of government: finance and the army 47 Political ideology 53 2. Society / Chris Wickham 59 Roman aristocracies 60 Early medieval western elites 64 Byzantium and the Arabs 73 England and Norway 75 The peasantry 80 The year 1000 90 3. The economy / Jean-Pierre Devroey 97 The traditional interpretations 98 Facts and key issues 100 The awakening of the eighth century 104 The late antique city 105 Justinian and Charlemagne 106 The western city 110 The Roman villa 113 Rural transformations, 400-1000 115 The evolution of the great estates 117 Rural society and the state 121 The problem of rural growth 123 The year 1000 and beyond 124 The long slow rise of the western European economies 126 4. Religion / Mayke de Jong 131 'Real Christianity' 131 New Christendoms 132 Elusive others: Jews, heretics, and pagans 142 Sacred domains and strategies of distinction 148 Changing legacies 161 5. Culture / Jan Wood 167 The last century of the western Roman empire 168 The successor states and the imperial tradition 171 Spain after 711 182 The Carolingian Renaissance 185 The tenth century 194 6. Europe and the wider world / Jonathan Shepard 201 Empire without end? 202 The Mediterranean as a barrier to east-west travel 209 Out-of-body experiences in east and west 212 The eastern empire’s survival tack 214 Byzantine reports on 'barbarians': the focus narrows 217 Christians across the sea: Bishop Liudprand’s viewpoint 220 Views from the fringes: Orosius, Isidore, Bede 223 Travelling and converting 227 Charlemagne’s ambit 230 Ends of empire and Otto III 237 Conclusion: into the eleventh century / Rosamond McKitterick 245 Further reading 251 Chronology 261 Maps 279 Index 293