The social transformation of the Roman world is a highly topical and much-discussed subject among historians. The importance of kinship in this epochal process has been largely neglected until now. This compendium seeks to close this gap by examining the role of kinship in transforming the social order. It significantly expands our perspective on the epochal upheaval between late antiquity and the middle ages.

Millennium transcends boundaries - between epochs and regions, and between disciplines. Like the Millennium-Jahrbuch, the journal Millennium-Studien pursues an international, interdisciplinary approach that cuts across historical eras. Composed of scholars from various disciplines, the editorial and advisory boards welcome submissions from a range of fields, including history, literary studies, art history, theology, and philosophy. Millennium-Studien also accepts manuscripts on Latin, Greek, and Oriental cultures. In addition to offering a forum for monographs and edited collections on diverse topics, Millennium-Studien publishes commentaries and editions. The journal primary accepts publications in German and English, but also considers submissions in French, Italian, and Spanish. If you want to submit a manuscript please send it to the editor from the most relevant discipline: Wolfram Brandes, Frankfurt (Byzantine Studies and Early Middle Ages): [email protected] Peter von Moellendorff, Giessen (Greek language and literature): [email protected] Dennis Pausch, Dresden (Latin language and literature): [email protected] Rene Pfeilschifter, Wurzburg (Ancient History): [email protected] Karla Pollmann, Bristol (Early Christianity and Patristics): [email protected] All manuscript submissions will be reviewed by the editor and one outside specialist (single-blind peer review).

In the decrees of the Carolingian rulers ("capitularies"), the language moves in a zone of indifference between law, morality, religion and administration. In this way, the Carolingians created a flexible instrument for communicating with their officials, which, precisely because of its lack of rules, was particularly suitable for pragmatic government action. For the first time, the anthology takes a look at the use of words, the semantic fields and the relationships to other text types of the 9th century and thus sheds new light on the conditions for the success of Carolingian rule.