The Carolingian World

by Marios Costambeys , Matthew Innes , Simon MacLean

• ISBN13: 9780521563666
• ISBN10: 0521563666
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-06-20
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The Carolingian World is a comprehensive and innovative introduction to the history of western and central Europe from 687 to 888 AD. Addressing the broad themes that define the history of early medieval Europe - politics and government, the Church, culture, trade and communications, rural and elite society - the book places political narrative in a social context, presenting a wider account of political and social change in Europe than any comparable textbook. The broad periodisation and geographical span of this study, built around the concept of the 'long eighth century' and incorporating the British Isles, northern Spain and Italian peninsular, allows the authors to stress the unity of the period between the seventh and tenth centuries and to throw new light on old debates such as Viking activity and Byzantine influence. Incorporating the most up-to-date historical research, this book represents essential reading for all students of the history of early medieval Europe.

Author Biography

Marios Costambeys is Senior Lecturer in the School of History at the University of Liverpool. Matthew Innes is Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London. Simon Maclean is Senior Lecturer in the School of History at the University of St Andrews.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	p. ix
List of maps	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
List of abbreviations	p. xv
The Carolingian family (simplified)	p. xx
The children and grandchildren of Charlemagne	p. xxi
Introduction	p. 1
The dawn of the Carolingian age	p. 1
Was there a Carolingian world?	p. 9
The sources for the Carolingian world	p. 16
The creation of Carolingian kingship to 800	p. 31
Replacing the ruling dynasty	p. 31
The Merovingian world and Carolingian origins	p. 34
Charles Martel and the extension of Carolingian power	p. 44
Securing Carolingian hegemony: Pippin III	p. 51
Charlemagne as king	p. 65
Belief and culture	p. 80
The problem of Christianisation	p. 81
The problem of sin	p. 110
Christian leadership and learning	p. 131
Inventing the Carolingian empire: politics and government, 800-840	p. 154
Introduction	p. 154
The imperial coronation	p. 160
Governing the empire	p. 170
Dynastic politics, c.806-827	p. 194
Kingship and 'subkingship'	p. 208
Revolt and recovery: dynastic politics 827-840	p. 213
Villages and villagers, land and landowners	p. 223
Introduction: interpreting Carolingian society	p. 223
Villages	p. 229
Landowning and landowners	p. 241
Community and mobility	p. 246
Landlords and manors	p. 252
The problem of economic growth	p. 258
The powerful and the poor: social conflict in the Carolingian countryside	p. 263
Conclusion: community and conflict	p. 268
Elite society	p. 271
Introduction	p. 271
Aristocratic identity: vocabulary, appearance and lifestyle	p. 275
Aristocratic behaviour: upbringing, morality and culture	p. 296
Aristocratic families	p. 304
Aristocratic resources and relationships: honores, benefices and lordship	p. 312
Exchange and trade: the Carolingian economy	p. 324
Introduction: interpreting the Carolingian economy	p. 324
Mechanisms of exchange	p. 329
The North Sea economy	p. 338
The transformation of the emporia: the ninth century	p. 347
The Vikings and the Frankish economy	p. 353
Italy and the Mediterranean economy	p. 358
Conclusion: was there a Carolingian economy?	p. 375
Sustaining the Carolingian empire: politics and government, 840-888	p. 379
Introduction: fraternal rivalry, 840-843	p. 379
Fraternal love, 843-877	p. 388
Government and resources	p. 407
The end of the empire, 877-888	p. 419
Epilogue	p. 428
Bibliography	p. 436
Index	p. 495
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.