BARBARIAN MIGRATIONS AND THE ROMAN WEST, 376 - 568 (CAMBRIDGE MEDIEVAL TEXTBOOKS) by Halsall, Guy

ISBN: "9780521435437

Cambridge University Press,  18 February 2008

Paperback 614 pages

This is a major survey of the barbarian migrations and their role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the creation of early medieval Europe, one of the key events in European history. Unlike previous studies it integrates historical and archaeological evidence and discusses Britain, Ireland, mainland Europe and North Africa, demonstrating that the Roman Empire and its neighbours were inextricably linked. A narrative account of the turbulent fifth and early sixth centuries is followed by a description of society and politics during the migration period and an analysis of the mechanisms of settlement and the changes of identity. Guy Halsall reveals that the creation and maintenance of kingdoms and empires was impossible without the active involvement of people in the communities of Europe and North Africa. He concludes that, contrary to most opinions, the fall of the Roman Empire produced the barbarian migrations, not vice versa.

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This book is important not only as a systematic statement of important current views on how the last Mediterranean empire of antiquity devolved into a series of recognisably European polities, but also for its impressive fusion of seemingly disparate archaeological and literary/historical materials. A genuinely important contribution to its field, by striving to be accessible to those outside its discipline, this book should contribute beneficially to wider discussions of historical change." -The English Historical Review

"...should be read by anyone interested in the early Middle Ages, the historical use of archaeological evidence, theories and practices of ethnicity, and, finally the Roman Empire and its ultimate collapse." -M.A. Claussen, Speculum

Book Description
An examination of the barbarian migrations and their role in the creation of medieval Europe.

About the Author
Guy Halsall is Professor of History at the University of York.