History and Geography in Late AntiquityThe period from the fifth century to the eighth century witnessed massive political, social and religious change in Europe. Geographical and historical thought, long rooted to Roman ideologies, had to adopt the new perspectives of late antiquity. In the light of expanding Christianity and the evolution of successor kingdoms in the West, new historical discourses emerged which were seminal in the development of medieval historiography. Taking their lead from Orosius in the early fifth century, Latin historians turned increasingly to geographical description, as well as historical narrative, to examine the world around them. This book explores the interdependence of geographical and historical modes of expression in four of the most important writers of the period: Orosius, Jordanes, Isidore of Seville and the Venerable Bede. It offers important readings of each by arguing that the long geographical passages with which they were introduced were central to their authors' historical assumptions and arguments. |
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allusion Alonso-Núñez Angli Anglorum appears Appian audience Augustine authority Bede Bede's Britain Britannia British Cambridge Cassiodorus Cassius Dio CCSL celebration century Christian Church classical composition contemporary context digression discussion early medieval emphasis empire ethnographic eulogy Eusebius exploitation gens geographical introduction Getica Gildas Goffart Gothic Gothic history Goths Hibernia Hispania Hist Historia Ecclesiastica Historia Gothorum historical writing historiography Hydatius imperial important included inhabitants insula interpretation Irish Isidore Isidore of Seville Isidore's island Jordanes late Antiquity later Latin Laus Spaniae literary Mevania migration modern motif myth narrative Nile northern Ocean opening chapter origins Orosius Pacatus passage Picts Pliny political Pomponius Mela praise Ptolemy quae recension reference regarded region rhetorical river Roman Rome Saxones Scandza scholarship Scripture Scythia seems significance Solinus sources Spain Spaniae spatial Strabo suggests temporal themes tradition Tugène Turnhout Visigothic writer