Synopses & Reviews
Edward James, an Anglo-Saxon who lives amongst Celts, here offers a sure-footed, clear and sympathetic guide to the complex world of barbarian Europe, where scholarly theories are fought over with almost as much passion as loot from the Empire." Bryan Ward-Perkins, Trinity College, Oxford
"A lively and informative introduction to the problems of the collapse of the late Roman Empire and the creation of the medieval world."
Hugh Elton, Trent University, Canada
Barbarians is the name the Romans gave to those who lived beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire the peoples they considered uncivilised. Most of the written sources concerning the barbarians come from the Romans too, and as such, need to be treated with caution. Only archaeology allows us to see beyond Roman prejudices and yet these records are often as difficult to interpret as historical ones. Expertly guiding the reader through such historiographical complexities, Edward James traces the history of the barbarians from the height of Roman power through to AD 600. His book is the first to look at all Europes barbarians: the Picts and the Scots in the far north-west; the Franks, Goths and Slavic-speaking peoples; and relative newcomers such as the Huns and Alans from the Asiatic steppes.
How did whole barbarian peoples migrate across Europe? What were their relations with the Romans? And why did they convert to Christianity? Drawing on the latest scholarly research, this book rejects easy generalisations to provide a clear, nuanced and comprehensive account of the barbarians and the tumultuous period they lived through.
Synopsis
Edward James's new book focuses on the often neglected subject of Europe's Barbarians. He focuses on the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the so-called Dark Ages that followed, and examines the unique cultures and histories of the barbarian hoards that eventually brought the Empire to its knees.
A readable and approachable text covering a vital and interesting period of history.
Synopsis
'Barbarians' is the name the Romans gave to those who lived beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire - the peoples they considered 'uncivilised'. Most of the written sources concerning the barbarians come from the Romans too, and as such, need to be treated with caution. Only archaeology allows us to see beyond Roman prejudices - and yet these records are often as difficult to interpret as historical ones.
Expertly guiding the reader through such historiographical complexities, Edward James traces the history of the barbarians from the height of Roman power through to AD 600, by which time they had settled in most parts of imperial territory in Europe. His book is the first to look at all Europe's barbarians: the Picts and the Scots in the far north-west; the Franks, Goths and Slavic-speaking peoples; and relative newcomers such as the Huns and Alans from the Asiatic steppes.
How did whole barbarian peoples migrate across Europe? What were their relations with the Romans? And why did they convert to Christianity? Drawing on the latest scholarly research, this book rejects easy generalisations to provide a clear, nuanced and comprehensive account of the barbarians and the tumultuous period they lived through.
Synopsis
The Germanic Invasions of the fifth century brought about the collapse of the Roman Empire. This book will change the way we think about those Dark Ages, looking at the Barbarians themselves rather than just their impact on the Roman empire.
- Has an unpretentious and engaging reading style and a thoroughly useful "Aftermath" chapter to conclude and wrap-up
- Contains information on the Celts, Slavs and Asiatics, as well as the more commonly written about Germanic barbarians
- The first up-to-date book in years
Synopsis
"Edward James, an Anglo-Saxon who lives amongst Celts, here offers a sure-footed, clear and sympathetic guide to the complex world of barbarian Europe, where scholarly theories are fought over with almost as much passion as loot from the Empire."
Bryan Ward-Perkins, Trinity College, Oxford; author of 'The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation'
"A lively and informative introduction to the problems of the collapse of the late Roman Empire and the creation of the medieval world."
Hugh Elton, Trent University, Canada; author of 'Warfare in Roman Europe, AD 350-425'
About the Author
Edward James trained as both an archaeologist and historian and is currently Professor of Medieval History at University College Dublin. His single-authored books include The Origins of France (1982), The Franks (1988), and Britain in the First Millennium (2001), and he has also co-edited two award-winning books on science fiction, Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century (1994) and The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (2003).
Table of Contents
1. Who Are the Barbarians?
Barbarians and Barbarism
The Sources
The Book
2. The Barbarians before AD 376
Classical Ethnography
The Empire and the Barbarians to 250
The Third-Century Crisis
The Barbarians in the Later Fourth Century
3. The Barbarians from 376 to 476
The Gothic Threat 376-406
From the Sack of Rome to the Fall of
Africa 407-435
The Age of Aetius 435-454
The Ends of Empires 453 to 476
On the Danube
4. The Barbarians after 476
The End of the Western Empire
The Burgundians
Britons and Franks in Northern Gaul
The Goths in Italy
The Gothic Wars
The Danube Region and the Balkans
5. Ethnicity, Ethnogenesis and Identity
The Debate
Jordanes and the Goths
Archaeological Approaches to Ethnicity
Some Case Studies
6. The Barbarians at Home
Burial and Ceremonies
Central Places
Settlements and Fortifications
Merchants and Exchange
Barbarian Art
Barbarian Civilization
7. Barbarians in Roman Employment
Slaves
Soldiers
8. Barbarians on the Move
Numbers
Scandinavian Origins
Conclusions
9. Assimilation, Acculturation and Accomodation
Impediments to Assimilation
The Barbarization of Romans and Vice Versa
A Christian Ideology of Assimilation
Britain as a Case Apart?
Mechanisms of Settlement
Archaeology and Assimilation
10. From Paganisms to Christianities
Arian Christianity
Ireland and Britain
Christianizing the Barbarians
11. Kingdoms, Kingship and Law
Law and Society
Celts and Germans
12. Conclusions
Endnotes
Bibliography