Europe’s Barbarians, AD 200–600

369 Pages·2009·4.96 MB·English

by  Edward James

EUROPE’S BARBARIANS,
AD 200–600
The Medieval World
Series editor: Julia Smith, The University of Glasgow Alfred the Great
Richard Abels
The Western Mediterranean Kingdom
David Abulafia
The Fourth Crusade
Michael Angold
The Cathars
Malcolm Barber
The Godwins
Frank Barlow
Philip Augustus
Jim Bradbury
Medieval Canon Law
J. A. Brundage
Crime in Medieval Europe
Trevor Dean
Charles I of Anjou
Jean Dunbabin
The Age of Charles Martel
Paul Fouracre
Margery Kempe
A. E. Goodman
Edward the Black Prince
David Green
Bastard Feudalism
M. Hicks
The Formation of English Common Law
John Hudson
The Mongols and the West
Peter Jackson
Europe’s Barbarians, AD 200–600
Edward James
Cnut
K. Lawson
The Age of Robert Guiscard
Graham Loud
The English Church, 940–1154
H. R. Loyn
Justinian
J. Moorhead
Ambrose
John Moorhead
The Devil’s World
Andrew P. Roach
The Reign of Richard Lionheart
Ralph Turner/Richard Heiser
The Welsh Princes
Roger Turvey
English Noblewomen in the Later Middle Ages
J. Ward
EUROPE’S
BARBARIANS,
AD 200–600

EDWARD JAMES
First published 2009 by Pearson Education Limited
Published 2014 by Routledge
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Copyright © 2009 Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved.

The right of Edward James to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book can be obtained from
the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data James, Edward, 1947—
Europe’s barbarians, AD 200–600 / Edward James. – 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-582-77296-0 (pbk.)
1. Rome–History–Germanic Invasions, 3rd-6th centuries. 2. Germanic peoples–Rome–History.
3. Germanic peoples–Europe–History. 4. Roman provinces–History. 5. Europe–History–To 476.
6. Europe–History–476-1492. 7. Rome–Civilization–Foreign influences. 8. Europe–Ethnic relations. 9.
Rome–Ethnic relations. I.Title.
DG312.J365 2009
937′.004–dc22
2009002079

A CIP catalog record for this book can be obtained from the Library of Congress
ISBN: 978-0-582-77296-0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-582-77296-0 (pbk)

Set by 35 in 10.5/13pt Galliard
CONTENTS

SERIES EDITOR’S PREFACE
PUBLISHER’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABBREVIATIONS
chapter one WHO ARE THE BARBARIANS?
chapter two THE BARBARIANS BEFORE AD 376
chapter three THE BARBARIANS FROM 376 TO 476
chapter four THE BARBARIANS AFTER 476
chapter five ETHNICITY, ETHNOGENESIS AND IDENTITY
chapter six THE BARBARIANS AT HOME
chapter BARBARIANS IN ROMAN EMPLOYMENT
seven
chapter eight BARBARIANS ON THE MOVE
chapter nine ASSIMILATION, ACCULTURATION AND
ACCOMMODATION
chapter ten FROM PAGANISMS TO CHRISTIANITIES
chapter KINGDOM, KINGSHIP AND LAW
eleven
chapter CONCLUSIONS
twelve
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
SERIES EDITOR’S PREFACE

W
hy did the Western Roman Empire end? How and why did medieval
Europe begin? These perennially important questions lie at the heart of
some of the most vibrant historical scholarship currently being conducted. While
some historians have breathed new life into the paradigm of ‘decline and fall’,
others argue for a complex process of ‘transformation’ whether gradual or
abrupt, peaceful or violent. What no one disputes is that barbarians from outside
the boundaries of the Roman Empire played a part. But what part? Who were
they anyway? How many were there? What were they like? In this book, Edward
James guides the reader through these debates with a sure interpretive touch and
an authoritative grasp of all the evidence.
He tells this story with a difference. Its central characters are never the
Romans but always the barbarians. His theme is what the barbarians contributed
to European history, and his geographical scope extends from Ireland and
Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and the Danube basin. On this broad canvas,
he takes account of a large number of different peoples, not only those who
remain household names such as the Goths, Franks, Saxons or Picts, but also
such half-forgotten groups as the Heruls, or Sarmatians – and he even mentions
the Ohtgaga and Noxgaga, whose names only occurs once in the historical
record.
James explains how new kingdoms emerged on Roman soil, taking their
identity from barbarian armies and their leaders. His account balances narrative
(Chapters 2–4) with analytic overviews (Chapters 5–12) of issues central to
current debates: the changing character of late Roman provincial societies; the
nature of early medieval ethnic identities; the multiple interactions of Romans
and barbarians besides warfare; the problem of how many people may have
migrated, and how far. The nature of barbarian kingship and governance, and the
role of religion in political change and cultural identity also receive full
attention. He closes by demonstrating that the barbarians’ contribution to
Europe’s political mythologies remains potent.