Early Medieval Militarisation. Edited by ElloraBennett, Guido M.Berndt, StefanEsders and LaurySarti. Manchester: Manchester University Press. 2021. xv + 367 pp. £90. ISBN 9781526138620.
Eric J. Goldberg
While the Transformation of Roman World project (1993–1998) made vital contributions to our understanding transition from Antiquity Middle Ages, it neglected important subjects warfare, violence and military institutions. The exciting new collection Early Medieval Militarisation goes a long way filling this lacuna through twenty stimulating essays by junior senior scholars. contributors all reject simplistic explanations era as one characterized ‘barbarization’ or ‘Germanization’. Instead, they adopt framework ‘militarization’, that is, process which civilian populations increasingly ‘lived in close proximity potential threat itself’ (pp. 1–2). editors take their starting point definition militarization offered Edward James his 1997 article ‘The Society’. argued militarized societies exhibit range characteristics, including no clear distinction between soldiers civilians political leaders, right freemen carry arms obligation certain social strata (especially nobles) perform service, widespread use martial symbolism private life, glorification virtues (p. 10). Using James's concept historical process, seek answer question, ‘How did these changes impact society?’ 2). authors offer wide case studies about end pax Romana Eurasia historical, archaeological literary perspectives, draw on variety evidence chronicles, law codes, capitularies, administrative documents, letters, papyri archaeology. They explore late Byzantine empires well Ostrogothic, Lombard, Visigothic, Anglo-Saxon, Merovingian Carolingian kingdoms. In spite geographic chronological breadth, fact most explicitly implicitly gives volume unusually strong cohesion makes possible interesting comparisons. introduction conclusion Guy Halsall nicely frame further enhance overall coherence. Manchester University Press has produced an attractive with many good maps, figures, tables illustrations. organize into four sections: 1) Military Society, 2) Warfare 3) Ethics War, 4) Perceptions Warrior. first two sections militarization, organization, relations different regions: Anatolia (Philip Rance) Arabia (Conor Whately), Ostrogothic Lombard Italy (Kai Grundmann, Guido M. Berndt Stefano Gasparri), Alfred Great's Wessex (Ryan Lavelle), Visigothic Spain (Pablo Poveda Arias), west Francia (Luc Bourgeois Simon Coupland). Standout half include Rance's discussion east service middle period, Bourgeois's survey Frankish fortifications era, Coupland's arguments for pragmatic non-military strategies Charles Bald Lothar I against vikings. As aside, Rance Gasparri's discussions reforms 40, 158) suggest intriguing models adiutorium-system mobilization introduced Charlemagne. last concentrate mentalities perceptions. Once again, chronological, geographical topical scope is impressive: frontier Austrasia (Stefan Esders); ideology warfare under Merovingians (Edward James), Anglo-Saxons (Ellora Bennett), Carolingians (Hans-Werner Goetz, Uta Heil Thomas Wittkamp); significance male female burials (Benjamin Hamm, Susanne Brather-Walter Michel Summer). Highlights second Esders's analysis how legislation helped eastern Austrasia, rejoinder Walter Goffart's contention heroic values were conspicuously absent age Gregory Tours, Goetz's ‘holy’ ‘religious’ Carolingians, Wittkamp's elucidation Notker's defence Fat's 882 peace treaty vikings Gesta Karoli. provides thoughtful he problematizes contributors’ assumption quantifiable process. He calls attention heightened emphasis themes graves tends reflect, not growing but rather moments crisis when previous norms coming stress. concludes should be understood at all, ‘complex discourse elite power culture, simple notion “militarisation” – especially if envisaged straightforward linear wholly insufficient capture’ 340). ambitious scope, inevitably finds some shortcomings. One notes conspicuous absence Muslim world, wish more had discussed details logistics raising, supplying, transporting housing troops impacted politics, society economy. But such criticisms detract impressive achievements Militarization, opens avenues investigation future research. It must-read historians early medieval society.
Early Medieval Europe