Le società post-romane in Occidente e Oriente. Storici a confronto per una nuova ‘grande narrazione’

• Main Author: Paolo Tomei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BraDypUS 2017-11-01
• Series: Storicamente
• Subjects: early medieval history; historiography; state; élites; tax system; social mobility
• Online Access: http://storicamente.org/tomei-societa-postromane-wickham-devroe-haldon

The article aims to present a review-discussion upon recent monographs that contributes to a new common ‘great narrative’ about Early Middle Ages and the transformation of the Roman world in the West and in the East. The main contribution comes from Chris Wickham, but I will take into account, among others, Jean-Pierre Devroey and John Haldon’s works. I will present an historical narrative focused on the forms of state funding and the relationships between state and social fabric, with a special regard for elites, shedding light on social and economic changes, meeting points and differencies among the political and territorial bodies of the early medieval Mediterranean.