ABSTRACT

This prestigious collection of essays by leading scholars provides a thorough reassessment of the medieval era which questions how, when and why the Middle Ages began, and how abruptly the shift from the Roman Empire to Barbarian Europe happened.

Presenting the most current work including newly-available material such as translations of French and German essays, From Roman Provinces to Medieval Kingdoms gathers the key thinkers in the field together in one easy-to-use volume.

Examining a wealth of material on the origins of the Barbarian people and their tribes, Thomas F.X. Noble studies the characteristics of the tribes and debates whether they were blood-tied clans or units bound by social, political and economic objectives.

Highly readable and student friendly, From Roman Provinces to Medieval Kingdoms includes a general introduction, clear prologues to each section and makes the key debates of the subject accessible to students.

chapter |27 pages

Introduction

Romans, barbarians, and the transformation of the Roman Empire

part I|204 pages

Barbarian Ethnicity and Identity

chapter 1|10 pages

The Crisis of European Identity

chapter 3|21 pages

Origo Et Religio

Ethnic traditions and literature in early medieval texts

chapter 5|10 pages

Defining the Franks

Frankish origins in early medieval historiography

chapter 6|48 pages

Telling the Difference

Signs of ethnic identity

part II|91 pages

Accommodating the Barbarians

chapter 10|15 pages

Archaeologists and Migrations

A problem of attitude? 1

chapter 11|15 pages

Movers and Shakers

The barbarians and the fall of Rome

chapter 13|15 pages

Cities, Taxes, and the Accommodation of the Barbarians

The theories of Durliat and Goffart

part III|64 pages

Barbarians and Romans in Merovingian Gaul

chapter 14|18 pages

The Two Faces of King Childeric

History, archaeology, historiography

chapter 15|13 pages

Frankish Victory Celebrations

chapter 17|13 pages

‘Pax Et Disciplina'

Roman public law and the Merovingian State