Название: A Short History of the Middle Ages, Volume II: From c.900 to c.1500, 6th Edition
Автор: Barbara H. Rosenwein
Издательство: University of Toronto Press
Год: 2023
Страниц: 257
Язык: английский
Формат: epub
Размер: 28.2 MB

In this new edition of A Short History of the Middle Ages, Barbara H. Rosenwein offers a panoramic view of the medieval world. Volume II ranges from England to China and from West Africa to the Baltic, while never losing sight of the main contours of the period c .900 to c .1500. The lively and informative narrative covers the major developments, political and religious movements, people, saints and sinners, economic and cultural changes, ideals, fears, and fantasies of the period in Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic world.

By 1025 the Byzantine Empire once again touched the Danube and Euphrates Rivers. Its emperors maintained the traditional cultural importance of Constantinople by carefully orchestrating the radiating power of the imperial court. At the same time, however, powerful men in both town and countryside gobbled up land and dominated the peasantry, challenging the dominance of the central government.

The Great Palace of Constantinople, a sprawling building complex begun under Constantine, was expanded and beautified under his successors. Far more than just the symbolic emplacement of imperial power, it was the central command post of the Byzantine Empire. Servants, slaves, and grooms; top courtiers and learned clergymen; cousins, siblings, and hangers-on of the emperor and empress lived within its walls. Other courtiers – civil servants, officials, scholars, military men, advisors, and other dependents – tried to live near the palace, for they were “on call” at every hour. The emperor had only to give short notice and all were expected to assemble for impromptu but nevertheless highly choreographed ceremonies. These were in themselves instruments of power; the emperors manipulated courtly formalities to indicate new favorites or to signal displeasure. The imperial court assiduously cultivated the image of perfect, stable, eternal order.

A comprehensive new map program, updated for the global reach of this edition, offers a way to visualize the era’s enormous political, economic, and religious changes. Line drawings make clear archaeological finds and architectural structures. All of the maps, genealogies, and figures in the book, as well as practice questions and suggested answers, are available at utphistorymatters.com.

Contents:
Chapter Four Political Communities Reordered (c.900–c.1050)
Chapter Five New Configurations (c.1050–c.1150)
Chapter Six Ambitions Realized and Thwarted (c.1150–c.1250)
Chapter Seven Empires of Land and Mind (c.1250–c.1350)
Chapter Eight Catastrophe and Creativity (c.1350–c.1500)
Sources
Index