Medievalists.net » Sixth Century

Fredegund’s Deadly Dinner

Medievalists.net — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 03:04:35 +0000

One of the great villains in Gregory of Tours' The History of the Franks is Fredegund. The sixth-century Merovingian queen was responsible, according to Gregory, for a lengthy list of murders and attempt assassinations, including against her own family members. She even murdered those men who failed to carry out her assassinations.

The post Fredegund’s Deadly Dinner appeared first on Medievalists.net.

The Justinianic Reconquest of Italy: Imperial Campaigns and Local Responses

Medievalists.net — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 21:07:30 +0000

This article examines a particular aspect of Justinian’s campaigns against the Ostrogoths in Italy, one that is often overlooked, yet one that is essential to the understanding of these wars

The post The Justinianic Reconquest of Italy: Imperial Campaigns and Local Responses appeared first on Medievalists.net.

Barbarian envoys at Byzantium in the 6th century

Medievalists.net — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 21:05:56 +0000

We intend to focus on the possibility of deciphering a barbaric point of view regarding the relations with the Byzantine Empire, at the beginning of the Middle Ages, when the narrative sources that are available to us have a Byzantine origin, or, when referring to barbarian kingdoms in the West, they are profoundly influenced by Roman and Roman-Byzantine traditions.

The post Barbarian envoys at Byzantium in the 6th century appeared first on Medievalists.net.

How Well Do You Know the Sixth Century?

Medievalists.net — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 19:37:34 +0000

The sixth century was time time of Justinian the Great, the Merovingians and supposedly King Arthur. Here are ten questions about the people and events of this century - how many can you answer?

The post How Well Do You Know the Sixth Century? appeared first on Medievalists.net.

A Created Enemy: ‘Barbarians’ in spite of Religious Conversion. Visigoths and Byzantines in 6th-Century Iberia

Medievalists.net — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 02:05:25 +0000

This study approaches the concept of resistance as a tool for historical analysis during Roman Late Antiquity, especially with respect to the identity construction and the creation of physical or mental borders between Byzantines and Barbarians.

The post A Created Enemy: ‘Barbarians’ in spite of Religious Conversion. Visigoths and Byzantines in 6th-Century Iberia appeared first on Medievalists.net.

The Patriarch Alexios Stoudites and the Reinterpretation of Justinianic Legislation against Heretics

Medievalists.net — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:08:31 +0000

Using normative legal sources such as law codes and imperial novels to illuminate Byzantine heresy is a very difficult proposition. One of the great problems in the analysis of Byzantine law in general is that the normative legal sources rarely were adapted to subsequent economic, political, or social conditions.

The post The Patriarch Alexios Stoudites and the Reinterpretation of Justinianic Legislation against Heretics appeared first on Medievalists.net.

Hagiography and the Experience of the Holy in the Work of Gregory of Tours

Medievalists.net — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:33:37 +0000

The rich literature associated with the Desert Fathers provides convincing evidence of the important role played by charismatic figures in the transformation of Late Antiquity.

The post Hagiography and the Experience of the Holy in the Work of Gregory of Tours appeared first on Medievalists.net.

The Frankish Pretender Gundovald, 582–585. A Crisis of Merovingian Blood

Medievalists.net — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:49:33 +0000

In the autumn of 582, a claimant to Frankish kingship named Gundovald landed in Marseilles, returning from exile in Constantinople with covert support from very powerful persons in the kingdom.

The post The Frankish Pretender Gundovald, 582–585. A Crisis of Merovingian Blood appeared first on Medievalists.net.

Christian Charm Discovered on 1,500-year-old Tax Receipt

Medievalists.net — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 05:20:25 +0000

A 1,500 year old papyrus fragment found in The University of Manchester’s John Rylands Library has been identified as one the world’s earliest surviving Christian charms.

The post Christian Charm Discovered on 1,500-year-old Tax Receipt appeared first on Medievalists.net.

A British legion stationed near Orléans c. 530?

Medievalists.net — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 12:17:02 +0000

Several recent books lead the reader to believe that Vita sancti Dalmatii, written in c. 800, records a legio Britannica (a British army) stationed near Orléans in c. 530. As this paper demonstrates, the only correct detail of this purported record is the word legio, and this may well have a non-military connotation.

The post A British legion stationed near Orléans c. 530? appeared first on Medievalists.net.