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That there was an influx of silver dirhams from the Muslim world
into eastern and northern Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries
is well known, as is the fact that the largest concentration of
hoards is on the Baltic island of Gotland. Recent discoveries have
shown that dirhams were reaching the British Isles, too. What
brought the dirhams to northern Europe in such large numbers? The
fur trade has been proposed as one driver for transactions, but the
slave trade offers another - complementary - explanation. This
volume does not offer a comprehensive delineation of the hoard
finds, or a full answer to the question of what brought the silver
north. But it highlights the trade in slaves as driving exchanges
on a trans-continental scale. By their very nature, the nexuses
were complex, mutable and unclear even to contemporaries, and they
have eluded modern scholarship. Contributions to this volume shed
light on processes and key places: the mints of Central Asia; the
chronology of the inflows of dirhams to Rus and northern Europe;
the reasons why silver was deposited in the ground and why so much
ended up on Gotland; the functioning of networks - perhaps
comparable to the twenty-first-century drug trade; slave-trading in
the British Isles; and the stimulus and additional networks that
the Vikings brought into play. This combination of general surveys,
presentations of fresh evidence and regional case studies sets
Gotland and the early medieval slave trade in a firmer framework
than has been available before.
That there was an influx of silver dirhams from the Muslim world
into eastern and northern Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries
is well known, as is the fact that the largest concentration of
hoards is on the Baltic island of Gotland. Recent discoveries have
shown that dirhams were reaching the British Isles, too. What
brought the dirhams to northern Europe in such large numbers? The
fur trade has been proposed as one driver for transactions, but the
slave trade offers another - complementary - explanation. This
volume does not offer a comprehensive delineation of the hoard
finds, or a full answer to the question of what brought the silver
north. But it highlights the trade in slaves as driving exchanges
on a trans-continental scale. By their very nature, the nexuses
were complex, mutable and unclear even to contemporaries, and they
have eluded modern scholarship. Contributions to this volume shed
light on processes and key places: the mints of Central Asia; the
chronology of the inflows of dirhams to Rus and northern Europe;
the reasons why silver was deposited in the ground and why so much
ended up on Gotland; the functioning of networks - perhaps
comparable to the twenty-first-century drug trade; slave-trading in
the British Isles; and the stimulus and additional networks that
the Vikings brought into play. This combination of general surveys,
presentations of fresh evidence and regional case studies sets
Gotland and the early medieval slave trade in a firmer framework
than has been available before.
This eagerly awaited volume, the first of its kind by western
scholars, describes the development amongst the diverse inhabitants
of the immense landmass between the Carpathians and Urals of a
political, economic and social nexus (underpinned by a common
culture and, eventually, a common faith), out of which would emerge
the future Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The authors explore every
aspect of life in Rus, using evidence and the fruits of post-Soviet
historiography. They describe the rise of a polity centred on Kiev,
the coming of Christianity, and the increasing prosperity of the
region even as, with the proliferation of new dynastic centres, the
balance of power shifted northwards and westwards. Fractured,
violent and transitory though it often is, this is a story of
growth and achievement - and a masterly piece of historical
synthesis.
Although often mentioned in textbooks about the Carolingian and
Byzantine empires, the Treaty of Aachen has not received much close
attention. This volume attempts not just to fill the gap, but to
view the episode through both micro- and macro-lenses. Introductory
chapters review the state of relations between Byzantium and the
Frankish realm in the eighth and early ninth centuries, crises
facing Byzantine emperors much closer to home, and the relevance of
the Bulgarian problem to affairs on the Adriatic. Dalmatia's
coastal towns and the populations of the interior receive extensive
attention, including the region's ecclesiastical history and
cultural affiliations. So do the local politics of Dalmatia, Venice
and the Carolingian marches, and their interaction with the
Byzantino-Frankish confrontation. The dynamics of the Franks'
relations with the Avars are analysed and, here too, the three-way
play among the two empires and 'in-between' parties is a theme.
Archaeological indications of the Franks' presence are collated
with what the literary sources reveal about local elites'
aspirations. The economic dimension to the Byzantino-Frankish
competition for Venice is fully explored, a special feature of the
volume being archaeological evidence for a resurgence of trade
between the Upper Adriatic and the Eastern Mediterranean from the
second half of the eighth century onwards.
This eagerly awaited volume, the first of its kind by western
scholars, describes the development amongst the diverse inhabitants
of the immense landmass between the Carpathians and Urals of a
political, economic and social nexus (underpinned by a common
culture and, eventually, a common faith), out of which would emerge
the future Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The authors explore every
aspect of life in Rus, using evidence and the fruits of post-Soviet
historiography. They describe the rise of a polity centred on Kiev,
the coming of Christianity, and the increasing prosperity of the
region even as, with the proliferation of new dynastic centres, the
balance of power shifted northwards and westwards. Fractured,
violent and transitory though it often is, this is a story of
growth and achievement - and a masterly piece of historical
synthesis.
Although often mentioned in textbooks about the Carolingian and
Byzantine empires, the Treaty of Aachen has not received much close
attention. This volume attempts not just to fill the gap, but to
view the episode through both micro- and macro-lenses. Introductory
chapters review the state of relations between Byzantium and the
Frankish realm in the eighth and early ninth centuries, crises
facing Byzantine emperors much closer to home, and the relevance of
the Bulgarian problem to affairs on the Adriatic. Dalmatia's
coastal towns and the populations of the interior receive extensive
attention, including the region's ecclesiastical history and
cultural affiliations. So do the local politics of Dalmatia, Venice
and the Carolingian marches, and their interaction with the
Byzantino-Frankish confrontation. The dynamics of the Franks'
relations with the Avars are analysed and, here too, the three-way
play among the two empires and 'in-between' parties is a theme.
Archaeological indications of the Franks' presence are collated
with what the literary sources reveal about local elites'
aspirations. The economic dimension to the Byzantino-Frankish
competition for Venice is fully explored, a special feature of the
volume being archaeological evidence for a resurgence of trade
between the Upper Adriatic and the Eastern Mediterranean from the
second half of the eighth century onwards.
This volume aims to clarify the context for the expansion of
Western Europe by focusing on what had been the greatest power in
early medieval Europe, the Byzantine empire, and on the continuing
strengths and expansion of the Orthodox world. Byzantine
'orthodoxy' offered a format for faith, hope and fear in various
combinations, involving religious beliefs and an idealised
world-order. Its multifaceted nature helps explain Byzantium's
success - the resilience of the earthly empire and the appeal of
its religious organisation and rites to other societies. The volume
reprints a set of key studies, combining classic treatments of
Byzantine and Slavic history with far-reaching explorations of the
extent of those worlds. Part I focuses on the empire in its heyday:
some studies illustrate the sense of manifest destiny bolstering
the imperial order until - and even beyond - Constantinople's fall
to the fourth crusaders in 1204. The spread of the Byzantines' cult
enlarged their trading zone northwards across Rus, while
Byzantine-based merchants were more active than is generally
realised in the Eastern Mediterranean. Part II includes an overview
of the 'fragmentation' following 1204. Studies show how Byzantine
rites and ideals of rulership were adopted by Serb and Bulgarian
dynasts. Particular attention is paid to Rus: although subjugated
by the Mongols, Rus churchmen, monks and leading princes all drew
on Byzantine religious texts and imagery. From the later fifteenth
century Moscow's rulers began to be portrayed as new guardians of
religious correctness, even as the World's End supposedly drew
nigh. The Introduction contextualises the studies included here,
highlighting the significance (and not just in terms of rivalry) of
the Byzantine Orthodox world for developments in Western Europe.
Byzantium lasted a thousand years, ruled to the end by self-styled
'emperors of the Romans'. It underwent kaleidoscopic territorial
and structural changes, yet recovered repeatedly from disaster:
even after the near-impregnable Constantinople fell in 1204,
variant forms of the empire reconstituted themselves. The Cambridge
History of the Byzantine Empire c.500-1492 tells the story, tracing
political and military events, religious controversies and economic
change. It offers clear, authoritative chapters on the main events
and periods, with more detailed chapters on outlying regions and
neighbouring societies and powers of Byzantium. With aids such as
maps, a glossary, an alternative place-name table and references to
English translations of sources, it will be valuable as an
introduction. However, it also offers stimulating new approaches
and important findings, making it essential reading for
postgraduates and for specialists. The revised paperback edition
contains a new preface by the editor and will offer an invaluable
companion to survey courses in Byzantine history.
This comparative study explores three key cultural and political
spheres - the Latin west, Byzantium and the Islamic world from
Central Asia to the Atlantic - roughly from the emergence of Islam
to the fall of Constantinople. These spheres drew on a shared pool
of late antique Mediterranean culture, philosophy and science, and
they had monotheism and historical antecedents in common. Yet where
exactly political and spiritual power lay, and how it was
exercised, differed. This book focuses on power dynamics and
resource-allocation among ruling elites; the legitimisation of
power and property with the aid of religion; and on rulers'
interactions with local elites and societies. Offering the reader
route-maps towards navigating each sphere and grasping the
fundamentals of its political culture, this set of parallel studies
offers a timely and much needed framework for comparing the
societies surrounding the medieval Mediterranean.
According to Byzantium's leaders, their imperial order anchored in
Constantinople was the centre of excellence - spiritual, moral,
material and aesthetic. They rewarded individuals willing to join,
and favoured outside groupings prepared to cooperate militarily or
politically. Interactions with outsiders varied over place and
time, complicated by the sometimes differing priorities of
Byzantine churchmen and monks on or beyond Byzantium's borders.
These studies consider the dynamics of such interactions, notably
the interrelationship between the Bulgarians and their Byzantine
neighbour. The Bulgarians' reaction to Byzantium ranged from
'contrarianism' to the systematic adaptation of Byzantine religious
orthodoxy, ideals of rulership and normative values after Khan
Boris' acceptance of eastern Christianity. For their part,
Byzantine rulers were readier to do business with their Bulgarian
counterparts than official pronouncements let on, occasionally even
adopting aspects of Bulgarian political culture. Byzantium's
interrelationship with other ruling elites was less intensive, but
the process of Christianisation and the need to format this in
readily comprehensible terms could make even distant potentates
look to the template of effective Christian sole rulership which
Byzantium's rulers embodied. Hungarian and Rus leaders were of
abiding geopolitical interest to imperial statecraft, and the
studies here show how during the generations around 1000 Byzantine
political imagery resonated throughout the region.
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