About the Book
The third edition of Reading the Middle Ages retains the strengths of previous editions—thematic and geographical diversity, clear and informative introductions, and close integration with A Short History of the Middle Ages—and adds significant new materials, especially on the Byzantine and Islamic worlds and the Mediterranean region. This volume spans the period c.300 to c.1150. The stunning "Reading through Looking" color insert, which showcases medieval artifacts, has been expanded to include essays on weapons and warfare by medievalist Riccardo Cristiani. New maps, timelines, and genealogies aid readers in following knotty but revealing sources. On the History Matters website (www.utphistorymatters.com), students have access to hundreds of Questions for Reflection.
Table of Contents:
Reading through Looking
Preface
Abbreviations and Symbols
Authorized Version of the Bible
I. Prelude: The Roman World Transformed (c.300–c.600)
A Christianized Empire
1.1 Toleration or favoritism? The Edict of Milan (313)
1.2 Law: The Theodosian Code (438)
1.3 Plague: Gregory the Great, Letter to Bishop Dominic of Carthage (600)
Heresy and Orthodoxy
1.4 Heretics: Manichaean Texts (before 350?)
1.5 Orthodoxy’s declaration: The Nicene Creed (325)
Patristic Thought
1.6 Conversion: Augustine, Confessions (397–401)
1.7 Relating this world to the next: Augustine, The City of God (413–426)
1.8 Monasticism: The Benedictine Rule (c.530–c.560)
Saintly Models
1.9 The virginal life: Jerome, Letter 24 (To Marcella) (384)
1.10 The eremitical life: Athanasius, The Life of St. Antony of Egypt (357)
1.11 The active life: Sulpicius Severus, The Life of St. Martin of Tours (397)
1.12 The cult of saints: Gregory of Tours, The Life of Monegundis (580s)
Barbarian Kingdoms
1.13 Gothic Italy as Rome’s heir: Cassiodorus, Variae (State Papers) (c.507–536)
1.14 The conversion of the Franks: Bishop Avitus of Vienne, Letter to Clovis (508?)
1.15 Gothic Spain converts: The Third Council of Toledo (589)
1.16 Merovingian Gaul’s bishop-historian: Gregory of Tours, Histories (576–594)
Timeline for Chapter One
II. The Emergence of Sibling Cultures (c.600–c.750)
The Resilience of Byzantium
2.1 The Siege of Constantinople: The Easter Chronicle (630)
Map 2.1: The Siege of Constantinople
2.2 Purifying practice: The Quinisext Council (691/692)
2.3 The iconoclastic argument: The Synod of 754
The Formation of the Islamic World
2.4 The sacred text: Qur’an Suras 1, 53:1–18, 81, 87, 96, 98 (c.610–622)
2.5 Muslim conquests: John of Nikiu, Chronicle (c.690)
Map 2.2: The Muslim Conquest of Egypt
2.6 Umayyad diplomacy: The Treaty of Tudmir (713)
2.7 Administration: Letters to ‘Abd Allah b. As‘ad (c.730–750)
2.8 Praising the caliph: Al-Akhtal, The Tribe Has Departed (c.692)
The Impoverished but Inventive West
2.9 The private penitential tradition: Penitential of Finnian (late 6th cent.)
2.10 A royal saint: The Life of Queen Balthild (c.680)
2.11 Reforming the continental Church: Letters to Boniface (723–726)
2.12 Creating a Roman Christian identity for England: Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (731)
Timeline for Chapter Two
III. Creating New Identities (c.750–c.900)
The Material Basis of Society
3.1 Manors in the West: Polyptyque of the Church of Saint Mary of Marseille (814–815)
3.2 The Byzantine countryside: Niketas, The Life of Saint Philaretos (821/822)
3.3 The sale of a slave in Italy: A Contract of Sale (725)
A Multiplicity of Heroes
3.4 Charlemagne as Roman emperor: Einhard, Life of Charlemagne (825–826?)
3.5 An Abbasid victory in verse: Abu Tammam, The sword gives truer tidings (838)
3.6 Mothers and fathers: Dhuoda, Handbook for Her Son (841–843)
3.7 A Christian hero in northern Iberia: The Chronicle of Alfonso III (early 880s)
3.8 Celebrating local leaders: Abbo of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Battles of the City of Paris (late 9th cent.)
Religion and Politics
3.9 An early view of the Prophet: Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Life of Muhammad (754–767)
3.10 Muhammad’s words in the hadith: Al-Bukhari, On Fasting (9th cent.)
3.11 The pope and the Carolingians: Pope Stephen II, Letters to King Pippin III (755–756)
3.12 Modeling the state on Old Testament Israel: The Admonitio Generalis (789)
3.13 The Slavic conversion: Constantine-Cyril, Prologue to the Gospel (863–867)
3.14 The Bulgarian khan in Byzantine guise: Seal of Boris-Michael (864–889)
3.15 The Bulgarians adopt Christianity: Pope Nicholas I, Letter to Answer the Bulgarians’ Questions (866)
Timeline for Chapter Three
IV. Political Communities Reordered (c.900–c.1050)
Regionalism: Its Advantages and Its Discontents
4.1 Fragmentation in the Islamic world: Al-Tabari, The Defeat of the Zanj Revolt (c.915)
4.2 The powerful in the Byzantine countryside: Romanus I Lecapenus, Novel (934)
4.3 Evanescent centralization in al-Andalus: Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi, Praise Be to Him (929–940)
4.4 Donating to Cluny: Cluny’s Foundation Charter (910) and various charters of donation (10th–11th cent.)
Genealogy 4.1: The Grossi
4.5 Love and complaints in Angoulême: Agreement between Count William of the Aquitainians and Hugh IV of Lusignan (1028)
4.6 The Peace of God at Bourges: Andrew of Fleury, The Miracles of St. Benedict (1040–1043)
Byzantium in Ascendance
4.7 Patronage of the arts: "Theophanes Continuatus," Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (before 963)
4.8 The toils of war: The Epitaph of Basil II (1025)
4.9 Imperial rule under two sisters: Michael Psellus, Zoe and Theodora (before 1063)
Scholarship and the Arts across the Islamic World
4.10 Political theory: Al-Farabi, The Perfect State (c.940–942)
4.11 A Jewish poet in al-Andalus: Dunash ben Labrat, There Came a Voice (mid-10th cent.)
4.12 Education: Al-Qabisi, A Treatise Detailing the Circumstances of Students and the Rules Governing Teachers and Students (before 1012)
Kingdoms in East Central Europe
4.13 Hungary as heir of Rome: King Stephen, Laws (1000–1038)
4.14 Coming to terms with Catholic Poland: Thietmar of Merseburg, Chronicle (1013–1018)
4.15 Poland’s self-image: Boleslaw’s Coin (992–1000)
4.16 Kievan Rus’: The Russian Primary Chronicle (c.1113, incorporating earlier materials)
Northern Europe
4.17 An Ottonian courtier-bishop: Ruotger, Life of Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne (late 960s)
4.18 Law: King Æthelred II, Law Code (1008)
4.19 Christianity comes to Denmark: The Jelling Monument (960s)
4.20 The Vikings as enemies: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (c.1048?)
Map 4.1: Southern England
4.21 The Vikings as heroes: Egil’s Saga (10th cent./13th cent.)
Timeline for Chapter Four
V. New Configurations (c.1050–c.1150)
The Seljuk Transformation
5.1 The Seljuks as enemies: Abu’l-Fazl Beyhaqi, The Battle of Dandanqan (before 1077)
Map 5.1: The Early Seljuk Empire
5.2 Shi‘ites vilified: Nizam al-Mulk, The Book of Policy (1091)
A Profit Economy
5.3 Cultivating new lands: Frederick of Hamburg’s Agreement with Colonists from Holland (1106)
5.4 Urban commerce: Ibn ‘Abdun, Regulations for the Market at Seville (early 12th cent.)
5.5 The role of royal patronage: Henry I, Privileges for the Citizens of London (1130–1133)
Church Reform
5.6 The pope’s challenge: Gregory VII, Admonition to Henry IV (1075)
5.7 The royal response: Henry IV, Letter to Gregory VII (1075)
5.8 The papal view: Gregory VII, Letter to Hermann of Metz (1076)
The Clergy in Action
5.9 Dressing for the liturgy: Vesting Prayers (c.1000?)
5.10 Keeping tabs: A Visitation Record (1268)
The First Crusade
5.11 Calling the crusade: Robert the Monk, Pope Urban II Preaches the First Crusade (1095)
5.12 Jewish martyrs: Solomon bar Samson, Chronicle (c.1140)
5.13 A Westerner in the Holy Land: Stephen of Blois, Letter to His Wife (March 1098)
5.14 The Muslim view: Ibn al-Qalanisi, The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades (before 1160)
The Norman Conquest of England
5.15 The pro-Norman position: William of Jumièges, The Deeds of the Dukes of the Normans (c.1070)
5.16 The native position: "Florence of Worcester," Chronicle of Chronicles (early 12th cent.)
5.17 The Conquest depicted: The Bayeux Tapestry (end of the 11th cent.)
5.18 Exploiting the Conquest: Domesday Book (1087)
The Twelfth-Century Renaissance
5.19 Logic: Peter Abelard, Glosses on Porphyry (c.1100)
5.20 Medical science: Constantine the African’s translation of Johannitius’s Isagoge (before 1098)
Cluniacs and Cistercians
5.21 The Cistercian view: St. Bernard, Apologia (1125)
5.22 The Cluniac view: Peter the Venerable, Miracles (mid-1130s–mid-1150s)
Timeline for Chapter Five
Sources
Index of Names, Places, and Readings
About the Author :
Barbara H. Rosenwein is a professor emerita in history at Loyola University Chicago.
