Wars and rumours of wars: England and the Byzantine world in the eighth and ninth centuries
Titel:
Wars and rumours of wars: England and the Byzantine world in the eighth and ninth centuries
Auteur:
Harris, Jonathan
Verschenen in:
Mediterranean historical review
Paginering:
Jaargang 14 (1999) nr. 2 pagina's 29-46
Jaar:
1999-12
Inhoud:
Recent scholarship has tended to react against generalizations about Byzantine cultural influence in early medieval Europe, especially the supposition that the level of such influence remained constant over several centuries. This paper argues that while caution is indeed necessary, generalizations can sometimes be made. Taking the attitude of the English between 600 and 1000 as an example, it is argued that openness to Byzantine influence remained constant, even in periods of no apparent contact, like the eighth and ninth centuries. This conclusion is based on two points: first, an investigation of the psychological response to the Viking invasions, a response conditioned by the English perception of their isolation; and, secondly, a close examination of the question of the authenticity and significance of the correspondence between Alfred the Great and the Patriarch Elias of Jerusalem.
Tijdschrift beschrijving