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 innovative and 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.
• First synthesis of the medieval history of this strategically important region • Draws on wide range of sources, including archaeology and inscriptional evidence • Includes political, economic and social history
Contents
Introduction; 1. The end of Late Antiquity or the beginning of the Middle Ages (c.500–600); 2. Southeastern European 'Dark Ages' (c.600–c.800); 3. The rise of new powers (800–900); 4. Iron century or golden age? (900–1000); 5. The first Byzantine century (10001100); 6. The second Byzantine century (1100–1200); 7. Between the Crusade and the Mongol invasion (1200–1250); 8. Conclusions and lingering questions.
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