Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) by Florin Curta (PDF)

Description

Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages stood at a crossroads of trade and crusading routes and fell within the spheres of influence of both the Byzantine Orthodox Church and Latin Christendom. This authoritative survey draws on historical and archaeological sources in the narration of 750 years of the history of the region, including Romania, southern Ukraine, southern Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania and Greece. Exploring the social, political and economic changes marking the transition from late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages, this book addresses important themes such as the rise of medieval states, the conversion to Christianity, the monastic movement inspired by developments in Western Europe and in Byzantium, and the role of material culture (architecture, the arts and objects of daily life) in the representation of power.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐It opens a comprehensive perspective on a region and period plagued by parochial views of history. I recommend prior readings on the history of Bizantium for better comprehension.

⭐good intro to SE europe (pannonia) for medieval times

⭐Southeastern Europe – that would be the region we know of as Bulgaria, the Balkin states, northern Greece, and parts of Romania, Dalmatia, Croatia, Serbia, you know, that region.It is an academic study of the evolving civilization and society and religion of the area. This region was at a crossroads of trade and crusading routes, within the sphere of influence of both the Byzantine Orthodox Church and Latin Christendom.The book discusses the rise of medieval states, the conversion to Christianity, the monastic movement inspired by developments in Western Europe and in Byzantium and the role of material culture in the representation of power.What I learned was that there is still much archeological work to be done, especially in researching settlements, as most of the work was done with cemeteries.The early history, in the ‘dark ages’, 500 AD to 800 AD, was one primarily of different groups invading from the area of the Northwestern Steppes, such as the Avar and the Magyar. It seems to be one long conflict and counter-conflict, making it difficult for larger settlements to take hold, especially because of the style of the time of relocating the conquered people to different regions.It was in this time that Christianity was trying to get a stronger foothold against the widespread pagan beliefs, and the two competing flavors, the Byzantine Orthodox Church, and Roman Catholicism were at odds to be the authorities in this developing area.The book itself is a scholarly study, and is part of the Cambridge Medieval Textbooks series.

⭐A magisterial overview of a fiendishly complex and difficult subject. No student of Balkan history and/or politics should be without it.If it has a flaw, it is that Curta tends to simplify or ignore the heated debates around some of the issues (eg, the ethnicity of the Asen brothers). A good argument can be made that he is right to do so, since these debates have more to do with modern and contemporary politics than with the Middle Ages; but an equally good argument could be put forward that the English-speaking reader should be made aware of their existence.

⭐Really good aproximation to an unknown period of time and territory in Western Europe.Interesting, scientific and easy-reading.Good delivery and price.

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