Skip to content
Register Sign in Wishlist

Theoderic and the Roman Imperial Restoration

  • Date Published: February 2014
  • availability: Available
  • format: Hardback
  • isbn: 9781107054400

Hardback

Add to wishlist

Other available formats:
eBook


Looking for an inspection copy?

This title is not currently available for inspection. However, if you are interested in the title for your course we can consider offering an inspection copy. To register your interest please contact asiamktg@cambridge.org providing details of the course you are teaching.

Description
Product filter button
Description
Contents
Resources
Courses
About the Authors
  • This book provides a new interpretation of the fall of the Roman Empire and the 'barbarian' kingdom known conventionally as Ostrogothic Italy. Relying primarily on Italian textual and material evidence, and in particular the works of Cassiodorus and Ennodius, Jonathan J. Arnold argues that contemporary Italo-Romans viewed the Ostrogothic kingdom as the Western Roman Empire and its 'barbarian' king, Theoderic (r.489/93–526), as its emperor. Investigating conceptions of Romanness, Arnold explains how the Roman past, both immediate and distant, allowed Theoderic and his Goths to find acceptance in Italy as Romans, with roles essential to the Empire's perceived recovery. Theoderic and the Roman Imperial Restoration demonstrates how Theoderic's careful attention to imperial traditions, good governance, and reconquest followed by the re-Romanization of lost imperial territories contributed to contemporary sentiments of imperial resurgence and a golden age. There was no need for Justinian to restore the Western Empire: Theoderic had already done so.

    • Extensive use of the works of Ennodius and Cassiodorus, with many passages provided in English translation for the first time
    • Places Ostrogothic 'Italy' within a broader geographical and chronological context, including two chapters dedicated to Gaul and coverage beginning with the early fifth century
    • Intentionally Italo-centric in its source-base, emphasizing the perceptions of Theoderic's subjects rather than others
    Read more

    Reviews & endorsements

    'This volume is a valuable contribution to our understanding of Ostrogothic Italy and its place in the historiography of the Roman and post-Roman west. Thoughtful and engaging, Arnold presents the history of Ostrogothic Italy as it was understood in the fifth and early sixth centuries rather than through categories and assumptions imposed upon the period by modern historians.' Samuel Cohen, The Classical Review

    'The book is endlessly fascinating and an artful exercise in high-quality historical writing and research.' Charles N. Aull, The Medieval Review

    '… [a] stimulating study.' The Medieval History Journal

    'Theoderic and the Imperial Restoration offers an insightful and engaging history of Ostrogothic Italy as it was understood, and to some extent imagined, by those who experienced it first hand. As an analysis not only of the sources themselves but also of the politics of Italy during a period of unprecedented change (even if such change is minimized by the sources), Arnold's book is a valuable contribution to our understanding of Ostrogothic Italy and its place within the historiography of late antiquity.' Sean W. Lafferty, Early Medieval Europe

    See more reviews

    Customer reviews

    Not yet reviewed

    Be the first to review

    Review was not posted due to profanity

    ×

    , create a review

    (If you're not , sign out)

    Please enter the right captcha value
    Please enter a star rating.
    Your review must be a minimum of 12 words.

    How do you rate this item?

    ×

    Product details

    • Date Published: February 2014
    • format: Hardback
    • isbn: 9781107054400
    • length: 354 pages
    • dimensions: 231 x 160 x 25 mm
    • weight: 0.59kg
    • availability: Available
  • Table of Contents

    Introduction
    Part I. An Empire Turned Upside-Down:
    1. Ennodius the Ligurian
    2. Cassiodorus the Calabrian
    Part II. Emperor Theoderic:
    3. Princeps romanus
    4. The Imperial image
    Part III. Italo-Romans and Roman Goths:
    5. Men of Mars
    6. Rex genitus, vir inlustris
    Part IV. Italia Felix:
    7. Italy revived
    8. Rome rejuvenated
    Part V. Renovatio Imperii:
    9. Becoming post-Roman
    10. Gallia felix
    Epilogue.

  • Author

    Jonathan J. Arnold, University of Tulsa
    Jonathan J. Arnold is Assistant Professor of Ancient and Medieval History at the University of Tulsa. His research and publications focus on issues of culture and identity, travel and communication, and the legacy of Rome in the late antique and early medieval West, particularly in Gaul and Italy. He has written entries for a number of encyclopedic works, including the Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages and the Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity, and his articles appear in the Journal of Late Antiquity and The Battle of Vouillé, 507 CE: Where France Began.

Related Books

Sorry, this resource is locked

Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email lecturers@cambridge.org

Register Sign in
Please note that this file is password protected. You will be asked to input your password on the next screen.

» Proceed

You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.

Continue ×

Continue ×

Continue ×
warning icon

Turn stock notifications on?

You must be signed in to your Cambridge account to turn product stock notifications on or off.

Sign in Create a Cambridge account arrow icon
×

Find content that relates to you

Join us online

This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Read more Close

Are you sure you want to delete your account?

This cannot be undone.

Cancel

Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.

If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.

×
Please fill in the required fields in your feedback submission.
×