Before France and Germany : the creation and transformation of the Merovingian world

In this innovative new study, Patrick Geary rejects traditional notions of European history to present the Merovingian period (ca. 400-750) as an integral part of Late Antiquity. Drawing on current scholarship in archaeology, cultural history, historical ethnography, and other fields, the author formulates an original interpretation not only of Merovingian history but of the Romano-barbarian world from which it arose. Mapping the complex interactions of a volatile era, he carefully traces the Romanization of barbarians and the barbarization of Romans that ultimately made these populations indistinguishable. Authoritative and elegantly written,__Before France and Germany__\*presents an original and powerful synthesis of one of the most misunderstood periods of European history\*draws on the latest archaeological, ethnographic, and historical findings, including grave finds, court documents, and kinship records\*establishes the Merovingian world as an integral part of late antiquity\*culls and interprets a wealth if specialist Continental scholarship in a concise, readable styleThis new study is an important contribution to our understanding of a crucial but often neglected period of Western history. In this innovative new study, Patrick Geary rejects traditional notions of European history to present the Merovingian period (ca. 400-750) as an integral part of Late Antiquity. Drawing on current scholarship in archaeology, cultural history, historical ethnography, and other fields, the author formulates an original interpretation not only of Merovingian history but of the Romano-barbarian world from which it arose. Mapping the complex interactions of a volatile era, he carefully traces the Romanization of barbarians and the barbarization of Romans that ultimately made these populations indistinguishable. Authoritative and elegantly written, Before France and Germany *presents an original and powerful synthesis of one of the most misunderstood periods of European history *draws on the latest archaeological, ethnographic, and historical findings, including grave finds, court documents, and kinship records *establishes the Merovingian world as an integral part of late antiquity *culls and interprets a wealth if specialist Continental scholarship in a concise, readable style This new study is an important contribution to our understanding of a crucial but often neglected period of Western history. In This Innovative New Study, Patrick Geary Rejects Traditional Notions Of European History To Present The Merovingian Period (ca. 400-750) As An Integral Part Of Late Antiquity. Drawing On Current Scholarship In Archaeology, Cultural History, Historical Ethnography, And Other Fields, The Author Formulates An Original Interpretation Not Only Of Merovingian History But Of The Romano-barbarian World From Which It Arose. Mapping The Complex Interactions Of A Volatile Era, He Carefully Traces The Romanization Of Barbarians And The Barbarization Of Romans That Ultimately Made These Populations Indistinguishable. (barnes & Noble). The Roman West At The End Of The Fifth Century -- The Barbarian World To The Sixth Century -- Romans And The Franks In The Kingdom Of Clovis -- Sixth-century Francia -- Francia Under Chlothar Ii And Dagobert I -- Merovingian Obsolescence -- The Legacy Of Merovingian Europe. Patrick J. Geary. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 241-248. From the twilight of the Roman Empire emerged the kingdoms of Merovingian Europe (c.400 - 700 AD), which were, in turn, the basis for the nations of medieval and modern Europe. Professor Geary draws on the latest archaeological and historical findings to elucidate one of the least understood periods of European history. This text is aimed at both survey and graduate courses on medieval history, which invariably take the Merovingian period as their starting point. Around A.D. 30, a Roman merchant named Gargilius Secundus purchased a cow from Stelus, a barbarian who lived near the present-day Dutch town of Franeker.