The New Cambridge Medieval History: Volume 1, c.500–c.700 The New Cambridge Medieval History Series

The first volume of The New Cambridge Medieval History covers the transitional period between the later Roman world and the early middle ages, c.500 to c.700. This was an era of developing consciousness and profound change in Europe, Byzantium and the Arab world, an era in which the foundations of medieval society were laid and to which many of our modern myths of national and religious identity can be traced. This book offers a comprehensive regional survey of the sixth and seventh centuries, from Ireland in the west to the rise of Islam in the Middle East, and from Scandinavia in the north to the Mediterranean south. It explores the key themes pinning together the history of this period, from kingship, trade and the church, to art, architecture and education. It represents both an invaluable conspectus of current scholarship and an expert introduction to the period.

Introduction: the history of Europe 500–700 Paul Fouracre; 1. The later Roman Empire Richard Gerberding; 2. The barbarian invasions Guy Halsall; 3. The sources and their interpretation Guy Halsall; Part I. The Sixth Century: 4. The eastern empire in the sixth century Andrew Louth; 5. The Byzantines in the West in the sixth century John Moorhead; 6. Ostrogothic Italy and the Lombard invasions John Moorhead; 7. The formation of the Sueve and Visigothic kingdoms in Spain A. Barbero and M. I. Loring; 8. Merovingian Gaul and the Frankish Conquests Raymond Van Dam; 9. The Celtic kingdoms Wendy Davies; 10. The earliest Anglo-Saxon kingdoms Helena Hamerow; Part II. The Seventh Century: 11. The Byzantine empire in the seventh century Andrew Louth; 12. Muhammad and the rise of Islam Carole Hillenbrand; 13. The Catholic Visigothic Kingdom A. Barbero and M. I. Loring; 14. Francia in the seventh century Paul Fouracre; 15. Religion and society in Ireland Clare Stancliffe; 16. Christianity amongst the Britons, Dálriadan Irish and Picts Clare Stancliffe; 17. England in the seventh century Alan Thacker; 18. Scandinavia (c.500–700 AD) Lotte Hedeager; 19. The Slavs 500–700 AD Zbigniew Kobylinski; Part III. Themes and Problems: 20. The Jews in Europe, 500–1050 Michael Toch; 21. Kings and kingship Patrick Wormald; 22. The Mediterranean economy Simon Loseby; 23. The Northern seas (fifth to eighth centuries) Stéphane Lebecq; 24. Money and coinage Mark Blackburn; 25. Church structure and organisation Georg Scheibelreiter; 26. Christianisation and the dissemination of Christian teaching Ian Wood; 27. Education and learning (500–700) Jacques Fontaine; 28a. Art and architecture of western Europe, 500–700 Ian Wood; 28b. Art and architecture, 500–700: the East Leslie Brubaker.

Paul Fouracre is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Manchester. His previous publications include Property and Power in the Early Middle Ages (co-edited with Wendy Davies, Cambridge, 1995) and The Age of Charles Martel (2000). He is co-editor of Early Medieval Europe and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.