|
|
|
xiii | |
| FOREWORD |
|
1 | (6) |
| BOOK 1 FROM THE COLLAPSE TO THE REINCARNATION OF THE EMPIRE |
|
7 | (101) |
|
Chapter 1 TRACES OF THE ROMAN EXPERIMENT |
|
|
7 | (18) |
|
I The Mediterranean Community: its boundaries and its neighbours Civilized countries and the barbarian world. The Empire, gift of the Mediterranean. Unity and diversity. |
|
|
7 | (4) |
|
II Forces of Tradition The Empire, still a republic. Peasant army and landowning administration. A civilization built on cities |
|
|
11 | (4) |
|
III Fresh Tensions Crisis of the towns. Human and divine law. Responsibility of the emperors |
|
|
15 | (4) |
|
IV The Empire with feet of clay Merciless taxation. Agriculture without surpluses. Trade without prestige. Labour without equipment. The golden mean |
|
|
19 | (4) |
|
|
|
23 | (2) |
|
Chapter 2 PLUMBING THE DEPTHS |
|
|
25 | (34) |
|
I Crisis of a Hemisphere From Rome to China. No violent death. St Cyprian's arguments. A possible cyclical explanation |
|
|
25 | (5) |
|
II The Barbarian States in the West Barbarians and Romans; together but not blended. Lights and shadows in the Gothic experiment. Success of the Franks |
|
|
30 | (4) |
|
III New Shapes of Roman Grandeur Hunnic model and Byzantine model. The new image of the `Roman' empire. The Pope, a sovereign by default |
|
|
34 | (5) |
|
IV The Appeal of the Ecclesiastical Life The Monasteries: a great achievement. The Church: a power. The humble style |
|
|
39 | (4) |
|
V German Immaturity The shaky sovereign. Weakness of institutions. Traces of culture. Elements of law |
|
|
43 | (4) |
|
VI Roman Senility A stiff and anonymous art. Art wrapped up in symbolism. Isidore and the beginning of the new Spain |
|
|
47 | (4) |
|
VII The Unknown Masses Miserable living standard. Scanty population. Roman traces in the geography of town and country. Gradual revolution: the coming of serfdom. Slaves go up, freemen go down. Bankruptcy or promise? |
|
|
51 | (8) |
|
Chapter 3 THE EAST WITHDRAWS FROM THE WEST |
|
|
59 | (23) |
|
I Imperator Romanorum, Vasilevs Romaion Prejudices ancient and modern. The problem of language. The religious problem. Christian Europe or Catholic Europe? |
|
|
51 | (11) |
|
II The East's Trump Cards Byzantium survived by adapting herself. Mediaeval but not barbarian. Byzantium, the melting-pot of nations |
|
|
62 | (4) |
|
III Byzantine Civilization of the Early Middle Ages The only State worthy of the name. Monks and iconoclasts. Provinces and local autonomy. Sailors and farmers. Literature and art. Economic policy |
|
|
66 | (6) |
|
IV Enter the Arabs Originality of the Arab synthesis. New religion confronts the old. Hemispheric war and the new equilibrium |
|
|
72 | (5) |
|
V The Arabs and Europe Three levels, three cultures. Moats and footbridges. Commercial exchanges. Demographic crisis continues |
|
|
77 | (5) |
|
Chapter 4 THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE, A FRAIL GIANT |
|
|
82 | (26) |
|
I From Mayor of the Palace to Master of Europe The image of Charlemagne. Frankish trump cards. Rise of the Carolingians |
|
|
82 | (3) |
|
II From the Administration of Rome to the Tutelage of the West The popes between Romans and Lombards. Downfall of the Lombards. Coronation of Charlemagne: several wills coincide |
|
|
85 | (4) |
|
III Prelude to Europe, or a false start? European framework. Return to universality. Christian republic in the West |
|
|
89 | (5) |
|
IV Beginnings of Feudalism, Gleams of Nationality Problems of government. The dawn of feudalism. Nation comes from `nasci', to be born. From the Council to Tours to the Partition of Verdun: the separation of languages |
|
|
94 | (5) |
|
V The Balance-sheet of Carolingian Civilization Literary renaissance: its limitations. Artistic renaissance: its complexity. Commerce: of small value but influential. The true scope of the Carolingian revival |
|
|
99 | (9) |
| BOOK 2 REBUILDING FROM THE BOTTOM UP |
|
108 | (150) |
|
Chapter 1 THE DAWN OF EUROPE |
|
|
108 | (38) |
|
I In the tenth Century: `Darkness is lifting' Europe torn to pieces. Resistance on the local scale. Europe enlarged. Europe shielded: the triumph of localism |
|
|
108 | (6) |
|
II Kingdoms and Empires Iron popes for an iron age. At the sign of imitation: the Empire's second renewal. Farther west: diminishing greatness, increasing solidity. The idea of empire still haunts people's minds. The heavy burden of the Ottonia Empire |
|
|
114 | (4) |
|
III Turn of the Demographic Tide Causes of recovery. Europe's good fortune. Mainsprings of the economic growth of Europe |
|
|
118 | (3) |
|
IV Growth of Agriculture Auspicious blending of two opposing systems. The amazing expansion of the Scandinavians. Mass migration through the moving frontier. Internal development and saturation of the land. |
|
|
121 | (5) |
|
V Beginning of the Commerical Revolution A newcomer to society: the gentleman merchant. In Italy: revival of maritime commerce. Commercialization spreads inland. Growing trade and towns in other countries |
|
|
126 | (6) |
|
VI New Techniques Demographic change and practical inventiveness. Agricultural techniques. Maritime techniques. The faltering progress of industrial equipment |
|
|
132 | (7) |
|
VII Private Initiative and Associations Self-help in late mediaeval Europe. Commercial contracts. Professional guilds. Slavery and serfdom |
|
|
139 | (7) |
|
Chapter 2 THE TRIPARTITE SOCIETY |
|
|
146 | (33) |
|
I Hardening of the Social Hierarchy Initial fluidity of classes, institutions and laws. Development of customary law. The three pillars of society and the missing fourth |
|
|
146 | (3) |
|
II Ubiquity of the Church Clergy and laity: a world full of God. Unbelief is impossible. A devil lurks everywhere. Intercessors are always at hand |
|
|
149 | (5) |
|
III Problems of Ecclesiastical Order Saints and sinners. Nicolaism and simony. Spurred by laymen, the reformers get under way |
|
|
154 | (5) |
|
IV Feudalism, a System of Government and a Way of Life Comparisons, antecedents, genesis. An aristocracy of specialists. The feudal style. The nature of the bond: family or contract. Chivalry comes of age |
|
|
159 | (6) |
|
V The Problems of the Feudal Order From a land economy to a money economy. Conflicting obligations. The unstable feudal pyramid |
|
|
165 | (4) |
|
VI Liberty and Liberties Eclipse and break-up of unconditional liberty. The air of the town. The vicissitudes of relative liberty |
|
|
169 | (4) |
|
VII Problems of Peasant Society The pattern of manorial agriculture. North and south: the solidarity of the village. The force of tradition. From subsistence economy to economy of exchange |
|
|
173 | (6) |
|
Chapter 3 THE SOARING OF THOUGHT |
|
|
179 | (33) |
|
I Truth proved by Reason Abelard the presumptuous and the development of dialectics. The diffusion of knowledge and the formation of a public. The struggle for souls: conservatives, heretics, scholars |
|
|
179 | (5) |
|
II The Love of Law From Roman law to `romance' law. Diffusion of Roman law: attraction and resistances. Other legal traditions |
|
|
184 | (5) |
|
III The Passion for Building The role of symbolism. The role of materials. Development and diffusion of Romanesque architecture. Triumph of Gothic: rationalism or decoration? |
|
|
189 | (8) |
|
IV The Pleasures of Writing History and hagiography. Epic superman. The lady on a pedestal. The romantic hero and the shepherdess. Realism and `anti-epic' |
|
|
197 | (7) |
|
V The Tower of Babel Germanic penetration and resistance of the Latin foundations. The vitality of literary Latin. Simplicity and flexibility: the parallel evolution of vernacular languages. From chaos to plurality. Language and nation |
|
|
204 | (8) |
|
Chapter 4 THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF KINGDOMS |
|
|
212 | (46) |
|
I Splendour and inadequacy of the Germanic Empire On the surface: greatness and peace. The German core and the eastward thrust. Imperial Germany at its zenith. The great battle is joined. The Empire up for auction |
|
|
212 | (8) |
|
II Strength and Weakness of the Italian Papacy The trump cards of the Roman Church. The popes direct the holy war. The papacy, an Italian power. Test and triumph of the fighting townspeople. After Legnano: the conflict reaches deadlock |
|
|
220 | (8) |
|
III Spontaneous Regeneration of France The south, almost another nation. The great fiefs of the north, virtually independent states. What the French kings could do. Development of the French nation. Philip Augustus |
|
|
228 | (7) |
|
IV England, oldest of the national monarchies Anglo-Saxons and Danes. The parting of the ways at Hastings. Progress of government and administration. England's good fortune. From triumph to disaster, from disaster to equilibrium |
|
|
235 | (8) |
|
V The Smaller Powers The Kingdom of Sicily. The Scandinavian Kingdoms. The history of Iberia: an enigma? A good start, a loss of impetus. The never-ending war |
|
|
243 | (6) |
|
VI The Clash of West and East The avoidable but not avoided hatred. The failure of the `small folk' and the exploits of the barons. Outremer: a brave new world. Defeat in Jerusalem, success in Cyprus. The onslaught upon the `Sick Man' |
|
|
249 | (9) |
| BOOK 3 MEDIAEVAL EUROPE AT ITS ZENITH |
|
258 | (145) |
|
|
|
258 | (50) |
|
I The Reign of Plenty Some comparisons of size. The pulsating life of the large cities. The busy life of lesser centres. Economy and architecture. Townspeople versus lords |
|
|
258 | (8) |
|
II The State as a Business Enterprise From temporary private association to permanent body politic. Communal institutions: how far democratic? Political instability. New experiments, new disappointments. Throughout Europe `life' signifies `strife' |
|
|
266 | (10) |
|
III Freedom for the Poor In Italy: increased mobility and well-being. Towns and peasants in the rest of Europe. Growth and problems of the woolen industry. Exploitation of the workers. Those who vegetate; those who rise |
|
|
276 | (8) |
|
IV To the Four Corners of the World `Gross' and `minute' commodities. Odyssey of the merchants, Iliad of the barons. The west knocks at the gates of Africa and Asia. From Peking to London: peak of the Italian commercial empire. Birth of the Germ an commercial empire. Urban civilization in the Baltic |
|
|
284 | (11) |
|
V Inland Trade The mass of small merchants and the financial giants. A few figures. On the roads: merchandise and ideas. The market-fair: oasis of peace and field of experiment |
|
|
295 | (8) |
|
VI The Flesh and the Spirit The haunting problem of interest. Absolute religion or compromise religion. The arts, the sciences and public utilities. The Renaissance around the corner? |
|
|
303 | (5) |
|
Chapter 2 THE ADOLESCENT NATIONS |
|
|
308 | (50) |
|
I Tour of Europe: Kings, Languages, Nations In Portugal. Aragon and Catalonia. In Bohemia. In the Celtic countries. From Iceland to Finland. Two great kings: the sceptic and the angelic |
|
|
308 | (8) |
|
II The Drama of the Universal Monarchies The Pope, triumphant everywhere except at home. Decline of the Empire in a shattered Germany. The mirage of an Italian empire. The mists of the Castilian empire |
|
|
316 | (6) |
|
III French Primacy in Europe Paris, the `Athens of Europe'. The kings of France assemble their kingdom. From plume and sword to pen and ink-well |
|
|
322 | (7) |
|
IV War and its Cost Cavalry is frozen in its tradition. Infantry is not suitable for kings. Peace budgets and war budgets. Taxes are the cement of the national structure |
|
|
329 | (6) |
|
V The Corporate Kingdom and Representative Institutions From fuedal assembly to representative assembly. Diverse origins, different solutions. The English experiment. In the rest of Europe |
|
|
335 | (8) |
|
VI Imponderable Elements of Nationalism and `Inert' Layers of Society The patriotism of a doomed nation: in Wales. Patriotism in the bosom of universality: Italy and Germany. What are the peasants thinking? What are the women thinking? |
|
|
343 | (7) |
|
VII The Nonconformists: Heretics and Jews The religious problem: toleration or repression? Economic interests, political solidarities. Systematic persecution. The ghetto: prison and touchstone |
|
|
350 | (8) |
|
Chapter 3 FROM MICROCOSM TO MACROCOSM |
|
|
358 | (36) |
|
I A Universal straining towards God The great philosophical synthesis of the thirteenth century. Reality and allegory. Men at the centre of creation. The `moralized' universe |
|
|
358 | (8) |
|
II Liberal and Mechanical Arts The philosophers of light and `experimental science'. Science, magic, technique: the alchemists. The aristocracy of studies |
|
|
366 | (6) |
|
III Physicians, Astrologers, Miracle-men From Salerno to Bologna. The influence of the stars. Hope in the miracle |
|
|
372 | (6) |
|
IV The Exploration of the Earth The age of approximation and day-dreams. Geography is born mature. The zest for China. Travellers who mind their business |
|
|
378 | (7) |
|
V Another Track for Science The life of the Gospel. The rule is put to test. The expectation of the Holy Ghost and the angelic Pope. An answer outside the Church? |
|
|
385 | (9) |
|
Conclusion TOWARDS A NEW EQUILIBRIUM |
|
|
394 | (9) |
|
I Saturation, Contraction, Crisis Demographic recession. A whole hemisphere in crisis. Exhaustion of an under-developed economy |
|
|
394 | (5) |
|
II Europe gets over the Crisis |
|
|
399 | (4) |
| SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY |
|
403 | (4) |
| APPENDIX |
|
407 | (16) |
| INDEXES: Persons |
|
423 | (8) |
| Places |
|
431 | (6) |
| Subjects |
|
437 | |
Other versions by this Author