Roman Barbarians: The Royal Court and Culture in the Early Medieval West (Medieval Culture and Society)

Roman Barbarians investigates the nature of early medieval culture, and what place the royal court had in it. It explores the place of the royal court and the operation of patronage through it in several European kingdoms of the early Middle Ages, such as the Ostrogothic court of Theoderic the Great, the Vandal court of Thrasamund, the Frankish courts of Dagobert I and the Visigothic court of Sisebut. It seeks to identify the roots of later medieval developments, and especially of the so-called Carolingian Renaissance, in the centuries immediately succeeding the period of Roman rule. After all, it was in that formative period that Roman and Christian ideas and practices came together to be mingled with indigenous Germanic practices, to produce the seeds of what we now call 'the medieval civilization'. Cover 1 Contents 8 List of Maps 10 Preface 11 List of Abbreviations 13 1 Introduction: A Series of Unfortunate Events 15 The dim view of early medieval culture 17 The survival of early medieval culture in modern historiography 30 A word on the patronage of culture 35 Another word on the concept 'culture' 38 2 Adaptation: The Ostrogothic Court of Theoderic the Great 41 Theodericus illiteratus 47 Ostrogothic past, Roman present 53 Roman past, Gothic present 67 3 Out of Africa: The Vandal Court of Thrasamund 73 The cultural heritage of Roman North Africa 81 King Thrasamund and the 'Vandal Renaissance' 88 The Anthologia Latina 92 Dracontius 97 The peculiar case of Fulgentius of Ruspe 101 Roman Vandals 106 4 Before and After: The Frankish Court of Chlothar II and Dagobert I 108 Kings and culture in Merovingian Gaul 111 Court and culture in seventh-century Francia 114 The Merovingian court school 115 Culture and monasticism 120 Flirting with liturgy 125 5 Music of the Heart: The Unusual Case of King Sisebut 138 King Sisebut, vir sapiens et ... pietate plenissimus 142 Visigothic political ideology and the 'Isidorian Renaissance' 155 Isidore of Seville and the culture of his time 157 King Sisebut's 'Isidorian Renaissance' 163 6 Postcards from the Edges: A Prelude to the Carolingian Renaissance 167 Charlemagne's Lombard father-in-law 167 The defiant cousin from Bavaria 173 The splendour of Byzantium 180 Ex oriente lux? 186 7 Conclusion 191 Select Bibliography 195 Index 219 A 219 B 220 C 220 D 221 E 221 F 222 G 222 H 223 I 223 J 223 K 223 L 223 M 223 N 224 O 224 P 224 Q 225 R 225 S 225 T 226 U 226 V 226 W 226 Z 226 This study investigates the place of the royal court and the operation of patronage in several European kingdoms in the early Middle Ages. It seeks to identify the roots of later medieval developments, and especially of the Carolingian Renaissance, in the centuries immediately succeeding the period of Roman rule. Roman Barbarians investigates the nature of early medieval culture, and what place the royal court had in it. It explores the place of the royal court and the operation of patronage through it in several European kingdoms of the early Middle Ages, such as the Ostrogothic court of Theoderic the Great, the Vandal court of Thrasamund, the Frankish courts of Dagobert I and the Visigothic court of Sisebut. It seeks to identify the roots of later medieval developments, and especially of the so-called Carolingian Renaissance, in the centuries immediately succeeding the period of Roman rule. After all, it was in that formative period that Roman and Christian ideas and practices came together to be mingled with indigenous Germanic practices, to produce the seeds of what we now call 'the medieval civilisation' This study investigates the place of the royal court and the operation of patronage in several European kingdoms in the early Middle Ages. It seeks to identify the roots of later medieval developments, and especially of the Carolingian Renaissance, in the centuries immediately succeeding the period of Roman rule "In this elegantly written series of case studies, Yitzhak Hen demonstrates the extent to which the barbarian heirs of Rome continued the Roman tradition of making their centres of political power also centres of learning, poetry, and culture. Without denying the violence of contemporary conquest and warfare, he shows how such rulers as the Ostrogoth Theoderic, the Vandal king Thrasamund, the Frankish sovereign Dagobert, and the Visigothic ruler Sisebut patronized poets, philosophers, churchmen and artists in their courts. The resulting image of court cultures between the fifth and ninth centuries both dispels the image of barbarian crudity and provides a context and prehistory of the cultural program of Charlemagne"--Professor Patrick J. Geary, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), USA. 'Yitzhak Hen's excellent book on the place of the royal court and the mechanisms of cultural patronage in the early medieval kingdoms of Europe breaks new ground. He provides a nuanced comparative analysis of the literary activites that can be associated with the Vandals, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks and Lombards, and thereby offers a new and convincing perspective from which to assess the subsequent Carolingian achievement' - Professor Rosamond McKitterick, University of Cambridge, UK Roman Barbarians Investigates The Nature Of Early Medieval Culture, And What Place The Royal Court Had In It. It Explores The Place Of The Royal Court And The Operation Of Patronage Through It In Several European Kingdoms Of The Early Middle Ages, Such As The Ostrogothic Court Of Theoderic The Great, The Vandal Court Of Thrasamund, The Frankish Courts Of Dagobert I And The Visigothic Court Of Sisebut. It Seeks To Identify The Roots Of Later Medieval Developments, And Especially Of The So-called Carolingian Renaissance, In The Centuries Immediately Succeeding The Period Of Roman Rule. After All, It Was In That Formative Period That Roman And Christian Ideas And Practices Came Together To Be Mingled With Indigenous Germanic Practices, To Produce The Seeds Of What We Now Call 'the Medieval Civilisation'-- Introduction: A Series Of Unfortunate Events -- Adaptation : The Ostrogothic Court Of Theoderic The Great -- Out Of Africa : The Vandal Court Of Thrasamund -- Before And After : The Frankish Court Of Chlothar Ii And Dagobert I -- Music Of The Heart : The Unusual Case Of King Sisebut -- Postcards From The Edges : A Prelude To The Carolingian Renaissance -- Conclusion. Yitzhak Hen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 181-204) And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Introduction: A Series of Unfortunate Events....Pages 1-26 Adaptation: The Ostrogothic Court of Theoderic the Great....Pages 27-58 Out of Africa: The Vandal Court of Thrasamund....Pages 59-93 Before and After: The Frankish Court of Chlothar II and Dagobert I....Pages 94-123 Music of the Heart: The Unusual Case of King Sisebut....Pages 124-152 Postcards from the Edges: A Prelude to the Carolingian Renaissance....Pages 153-176 Conclusion....Pages 177-180 Back Matter....Pages 181-213