Society and Politics in Medieval Italy: The Evolution of the Civil Life, 1000–1350

258 Pages·1973·27.055 MB·English

by  J. K. Hyde (auth.)

Society and Politics in Medieval Italy
The Evolution of the Civil Life, woo-1350
NEW STUDIES IN MEDIEVAL HISTORY
General Editor: Denis Bethell
Society and Politics in
Medieval Italy
The Evolution of the Civil Life,
I000-1350
J. K. HYDE
Macmillan Education
ISBN 978-0-333-11460-5 ISBN 978-1-349-15504-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-15504-0
© J. K. Hyde I973
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1973 978-0-333-11459-9
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transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission.
First published I973 by
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viii CONTENTS
7 THE END OF AN ERA 178
The Disasters of the Mid-fourteenth Century 178
Marsiglia of Padua's Plan for Peace 186
Abbreviations to Bibliographies and References 199
Bibliographies: Introductory Note 200
I Select Bibliography of Works in
English 200
II Select Bibliography of Works in Other
Languages 207
References 217
Index 223
MAPS
1 Byzantine and Lombard Italy, c. 616 xvii
2 Italy in the tenth century xviii
3A Overseas trade of Genoa, c. 1too-1300 xix
B Northern trade of Genoa, c. 110o-13oo xx
4 Northern Italy in 1310 xxi
The relative wealth of the chief north Italian cities
in 1311 xxii
5 Major Italian cities, c. 1340 xxiii
6 The trading world of Francesco Pegolotti, c. 1340 xxiv
PLATES
between pages 72 and 73
I Two planned towns of northern Italy from the air
II The Veronese Commune receives as tandard from St Zeno
III The crucial role of law in communal society
IV The strong arm of the law in Genoa, 1190
V The Signore triumphs over the Commune
VI The ideal of the Vita Civile
Acknowledgements
As the idea of this book first arose out of my teaching at Man
chester, so my first debt is to the students who attended my classes
on Italian history over the years whose questions and comments
helped to shape the subject in my mind. The materials were pro
vided by the diligent researches of many scholars, most but not all
of whom are mentioned in the notes and bibliographies; in work
ing their separate findings into a general pattern, I hope I have not
distorted what they intended to say. I owe a special debt of grati
tude to Professor Donald Bullough, who found time among many
other commitments to read the early chapters; his expert observa
tions saved me from many a blunder. From the editor of this series,
Mr Denis Bethell, I have received more in the way of constructive
guidance and encouragement than any author could expect or
hope for; as this book has grown chapter by chapter, so has our
friendship. Finally, I am aware that my family have had a lot to
put up with while this book has been in preparation. I wish to
thank them for their patience, especially my wife, who besides
much support and encouragement gave time to read each succes
sive draft as it appeared; her lay comments led to improvements
on almost every page.
The author and the publishers wish to thank the following for
permission to reproduce the illustrations appearing in this book:
the Ministry of Defence (Air) and the Pitt Rivers Museum, Ox
ford, for Plates IA and In; Dr Julian Gardner and the Courtauld
Institute of the University of London for Plate II; Orlandini of
Modena and Librairie Armand Colin: © Naissance de l'Europe
by R. S. Lopez, published by Armand Colin S.A., Paris, for Plate
III; the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, for Plate IV and Editions
d'Art Albert Skira, Geneva, for Plate VI.
The author and the publishers also wish to thank the Columbia
University Press for permission to reproduce on pages 154-5 a pas
sage from R. S. Lopez and I. W. Raymond, Medieval Trade in the
Mediterranean World (1955), and C. T. Davis for permission to
reproduce on page 165 a passage from his 'Il Buono Tempo An
tico' inN. Rubinstein (ed.), Florentine Studies (1g6g).
c.s.-1*
Chronological Table
c. 235-68 Civil wars and barbarian invasions greatly
impoverish western Roman Empire.
330 Foundation of Constantinople as second capital of
the Roman Empire.
Invasion of Italy by the Goths; imperial court
withdraws from Milan to Ravenna.
452 Huns under Attila destroy Aquileia and other cities
of N.E. Italy.
Deposition of last emperor in the West; barbarian
armies settled on the land.
493-526 Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, rules the
Italians in the name of the emperor.
534-c. 54 Italy devasted by Justinian's Gothic war.
568 Lombards invade Italy.
653-61 King Aribert I: official conversion of the Lombards
from Arian to Catholic Christianity.
751 Lombards finally capture Ravenna; collapse of
Byzantine power in North Italy.
Franks under Pepin raid Lombardy at request of
Pope Stephen III.
774 Charlemagne, king of the Franks, conquers
Lombard kingdom.
8oo Charlemagne crowned emperor in Rome.
831 Saracens capture Palermo.
841-71 Saracens hold Bari.
875-962 Decline of the kingdom of Italy; power passes to
local bishops and nobility.
876-c. 1025 Byzantine political hegemony over South Italy.
899-954 Intermittent Magyar raids on Italy.
915 Local forces under Pope John X destroy the Saracen
stronghold on the Garigliano.
962 Otto I of Saxony crowned emperor in Rome.
c.979 Archbishop Landulph enfeoffs milites with lands
of the church of Milan.
Regency of the Empress Theophanu for her son
Otto III; rights of the palace at Pavia alienated(?).