Humanism and Empire: The Imperial Ideal in Fourteenth-Century Italy

461 Pages·2018·2.227 MB·English

by  Alexander Lee

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HUMANISM AND EMPIRE
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Humanism and Empire
The Imperial Ideal in
Fourteenth-Century Italy
ALEXANDER LEE
1
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3
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© Alexander Lee 2018
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First Edition published in 2018
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To
L. B. T. Houghton
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Acknowledgements
When the idea of writing this book first came to me, I had no inkling of what a
vast undertaking it would prove to be. At first, I had imagined that it would be
a gentle stroll through a forgotten corner of the scholarly landscape. But as my
research progressed, it began to seem more like an arduous climb up an unforgiving
mountain of material; and as ever more craggy slopes rose unexpectedly out of the
archival mists I began to doubt that I would ever reach the end of my journey.
Without the patience and kindness of those who have supported me along the way,
I would not have done so. It is a delight to be able to thank them at last.
I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work at some truly marvellous
institutions while writing this book. The spirit of friendly collegiality and vigorous
debate that I have encountered at the Laboratoire d’Histoire at the Université du
Luxembourg, the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance at the University of
Warwick, and St Catherine’s College at the University of Oxford has left its mark
on every page, and I am thankful for the advice and encouragement of some splendid
colleagues. Most particularly, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Fonds
National de la Recherche in Luxembourg for granting me the AFR Research
Fellowship (PDR-09-079) that allowed me to begin work on this project in the
first place: its generosity made everything possible.
In bringing Humanism and Empire to publication, I have been privileged to
work with a number of exceptional people. At Oxford University Press, Cathryn
Steele has been a paragon of editorial kindness. Her patience, generosity of spirit,
and words of wisdom have made the whole process a delight. My agent, Georgina
Capel, has been equally wonderful. I would like to thank her deeply for her
warm-heartedness, for her endless support, and for her dazzling professionalism.
At Georgina Capel Associates, I would also like to thank Rachel Conway. As always,
she has been breathtakingly helpful and efficient at every turn, and I owe her a
great debt of gratitude.
I feel very fortunate to have some of the dearest friends that anyone could
wish for. Luke Houghton—to whom this volume is dedicated—James O’Connor,
Stephen Bowd, Pit Péporté, Luc Deitz, Tim Stanley, Dilyana Valcheva, Paul Lay,
Alexander Millar, Yascha Mounk, Shahpur Kabraji, Christina Johnson, Fr. Christian
de Lisle, and Sr. Mary Thomas have been absolutely wonderful. They have all
endured long discussions of obscure aspects of fourteenth-century history with
great forbearance, and many have even been good enough to read drafts of various
chapters. Their advice and encouragement have been invaluable, and there is not
a sentence in this book that does not bear witness to their insights. But most
importantly, they have also kept me going when times seemed hardest. I shall always
be profoundly grateful for their selflessness, kindness, and good humour.
My family have been a pillar of strength and support. My parents, Chris and
Ingrid Lee, my mother- and father-in-law, Catherine and Henri Sebban, my brother,
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viii Acknowledgements
Piers, Polly Reehal and Anoop have always been a source of boundless inspiration
and kindness, and I will never be able to express how very much I love them all.
Above all, however, I would like to thank my wife, Marie. Not a day has gone
by when she has not warmed my heart with her smile, lifted my spirits with her
laughter, and inspired me with her courage. She is my best friend, my true love, my
hero—and that she agreed to marry me even after listening to me ramble on about
this book for so long makes me feel like the luckiest man on earth.
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Contents
Abbreviations xi
A Note on Humanism xiii
Introduction: Empire and Humanism 1
PART I. THE DEFENCE OF EMPIRE
1. Communes, Signori, and Empire (c.1260–c.1335) 31
2. History, Providence, and Empire (c.1290–c.1335) 72
3. Italy, Rome, and Empire (c.1335–1369) 89
4. The Twilight of Empire (c.1369–1402) 141
PART II. THE DYNAMICS OF EMPIRE
5. The Bounds of Empire 185
6. Imperium and Sacerdotium 212
7. An Elective Empire 301
Epilogue: Humanism and Empire 376
Bibliography 389
Index 425