Introduction to Medieval Europe 300–1500
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Introduction to Medieval Europe 300–1500
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Book 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 Christianisation, 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 that help to bring this fascinating era to life, including:
In the book:
- A number of new maps and images to further understanding of the period
- 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:
- An updated, comparative and interactive timeline, highlighting surprising synchronicities in medieval history, and annotated links to useful websites
- A list of movies, television series and novels related to the Middle Ages, accompanied by introductions and commentaries
- Assignable discussion questions and the maps, plates, figures and tables from the book available to download and use in the classroom
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.
Table of Contents
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 13
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Points to remember
Suggestions for further reading
Chapter 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
Chapter 4 Early kingdoms and principalities
Charlemagne’s legacy
The making of England
The institutionalisation of the state
Points to remember
Suggestions for further reading
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 7 The beginnings of European expansion
The West becomes more aggressive
Shifting Centres of Gravity
The Multicultural Near East
Crusades, Crusader States and Western Colonies in the East
The Later Crusades
The Spread of Faith and Colonisation
East Meets West
Colonising Central and Eastern Europe
Take off to a commercial revolution
The transport revolution
Progress in organisation
A negative balance of payments
The commercialisation of the countryside
Points to remember
Suggestions for further reading
Chapter 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
Chapter 9: Towns and the urbanisation of medieval society
The Phenomenon of the pre-industrial town
The beginnings of urban society
Urban society and economy in the later Middle Ages
Points to remember
Suggestions for further reading
Part IV: The Late Middle Ages, 1300-1500
Chapter 10 Between crisis and contraction: population, economy and society
War, famine and pestilence
Economic crisis or contraction?
Characteristics of late medieval society
Social contrasts and social conflicts
Points to remember
Suggestions for further reading
Chapter 11 The consolidation of states
Types of state: sovereignty versus suzerainty
The course of events
The Holy Roman Empire and Italy: stalemate
Driving forces in the formation of states
State institutions and social order
Points to remember
Suggestions for further reading
Chapter 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
Author(s)
Biography
Wim Blockmans is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. His previous publications include The Routledge History Handbook or Maritime Trade around Europe 1300-1600 (2016).
Peter Hoppenbrouwers is a professor at the Institute for History, University of Leiden, The Netherlands. His previous publications include Village Community and Conflict in Late Medieval Drenthe The Medieval Countryside (2018)
Reviews
'Instructors seeking an alternative to the standard political and institutional narrative found in most medieval history texts will find the new edition of Blockmans and Hoppenbrouwers to be a superb choice. With its focus on social groups and cultural movements, the text is also written in a fluid style that will engage students. I look forward to using it in my next medieval history survey.'
Edward Tabri, University of Texas at Tyler