Reading through Looking
Preface
Abbreviations and Symbols
Authorized Version of the Bible
I. Prelude: The Roman World Transformed (c.300–c.600)
A Christianized Empire
1.1 Toleration or favoritism? The Edict of Milan (313)
1.2 Law: The Theodosian Code (438)
1.3 Plague: Gregory the Great, Letter to Bishop Dominic of Carthage (600)
Heresy and Orthodoxy
1.4 Heretics: Manichaean Texts (before 350?)
1.5 Orthodoxy’s declaration: The Nicene Creed (325)
Patristic Thought
1.6 Conversion: Augustine, Confessions (397–401)
1.7 Relating this world to the next: Augustine, The City of God (413–426)
1.8 Monasticism: The Benedictine Rule (c.530–c.560)
Saintly Models
1.9 The virginal life: Jerome, Letter 24 (To Marcella) (384)
1.10 The eremitical life: Athanasius, The Life of St. Antony of Egypt (357)
1.11 The active life: Sulpicius Severus, The Life of St. Martin of Tours (397)
1.12 The cult of saints: Gregory of Tours, The Life of Monegundis (580s)
Barbarian Kingdoms
1.13 Gothic Italy as Rome’s heir: Cassiodorus, Variae (State Papers) (c.507–536)
1.14 The conversion of the Franks: Bishop Avitus of Vienne, Letter to Clovis (508?)
1.15 Gothic Spain converts: The Third Council of Toledo (589)
1.16 Merovingian Gaul’s bishop-historian: Gregory of Tours, Histories (576–594)
Timeline for Chapter One
II. The Emergence of Sibling Cultures (c.600–c.750)
The Resilience of Byzantium
2.1 The Siege of Constantinople: The Easter Chronicle (630)
Map 2.1: The Siege of Constantinople
2.2 Purifying practice: The Quinisext Council (691/692)
2.3 The iconoclastic argument: The Synod of 754
The Formation of the Islamic World
2.4 The sacred text: Qur’an Suras 1, 53:1–18, 81, 87, 96, 98 (c.610–622)
2.5 Muslim conquests: John of Nikiu, Chronicle (c.690)
Map 2.2: The Muslim Conquest of Egypt
2.6 Umayyad diplomacy: The Treaty of Tudmir (713)
2.7 Administration: Letters to ‘Abd Allah b. As‘ad (c.730–750)
2.8 Praising the caliph: Al-Akhtal, The Tribe Has Departed (c.692)
The Impoverished but Inventive West
2.9 The private penitential tradition: Penitential of Finnian (late 6th cent.)
2.10 A royal saint: The Life of Queen Balthild (c.680)
2.11 Reforming the continental Church: Letters to Boniface (723–726)
2.12 Creating a Roman Christian identity for England: Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (731)
Timeline for Chapter Two
III. Creating New Identities (c.750–c.900)
The Material Basis of Society
3.1 Manors in the West: Polyptyque of the Church of Saint Mary of Marseille (814–815)
3.2 The Byzantine countryside: Niketas, The Life of Saint Philaretos (821/822)
3.3 The sale of a slave in Italy: A Contract of Sale (725)
A Multiplicity of Heroes
3.4 Charlemagne as Roman emperor: Einhard, Life of Charlemagne (825–826?)
3.5 An Abbasid victory in verse: Abu Tammam, The sword gives truer tidings (838)
3.6 Mothers and fathers: Dhuoda, Handbook for Her Son (841–843)
3.7 A Christian hero in northern Iberia: The Chronicle of Alfonso III (early 880s)
3.8 Celebrating local leaders: Abbo of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Battles of the City of Paris (late 9th cent.)
Religion and Politics
3.9 An early view of the Prophet: Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Life of Muhammad (754–767)
3.10 Muhammad’s words in the hadith: Al-Bukhari, On Fasting (9th cent.)
3.11 The pope and the Carolingians: Pope Stephen II, Letters to King Pippin III (755–756)
3.12 Modeling the state on Old Testament Israel: The Admonitio Generalis (789)
3.13 The Slavic conversion: Constantine-Cyril, Prologue to the Gospel (863–867)
3.14 The Bulgarian khan in Byzantine guise: Seal of Boris-Michael (864–889)
3.15 The Bulgarians adopt Christianity: Pope Nicholas I, Letter to Answer the Bulgarians’ Questions (866)
Timeline for Chapter Three
IV. Political Communities Reordered (c.900–c.1050)
Regionalism: Its Advantages and Its Discontents
4.1 Fragmentation in the Islamic world: Al-Tabari, The Defeat of the Zanj Revolt (c.915)
4.2 The powerful in the Byzantine countryside: Romanus I Lecapenus, Novel (934)
4.3 Evanescent centralization in al-Andalus: Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi, Praise Be to Him (929–940)
4.4 Donating to Cluny: Cluny’s Foundation Charter (910) and various charters of donation (10th–11th cent.)
Genealogy 4.1: The Grossi
4.5 Love and complaints in Angoulême: Agreement between Count William of the Aquitainians and Hugh IV of Lusignan (1028)
4.6 The Peace of God at Bourges: Andrew of Fleury, The Miracles of St. Benedict (1040–1043)
Byzantium in Ascendance
4.7 Patronage of the arts: “Theophanes Continuatus,” Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (before 963)
4.8 The toils of war: The Epitaph of Basil II (1025)
4.9 Imperial rule under two sisters: Michael Psellus, Zoe and Theodora (before 1063)
Scholarship and the Arts across the Islamic World
4.10 Political theory: Al-Farabi, The Perfect State (c.940–942)
4.11 A Jewish poet in al-Andalus: Dunash ben Labrat, There Came a Voice (mid-10th cent.)
4.12 Education: Al-Qabisi, A Treatise Detailing the Circumstances of Students and the Rules Governing Teachers and Students (before 1012)
Kingdoms in East Central Europe
4.13 Hungary as heir of Rome: King Stephen, Laws (1000–1038)
4.14 Coming to terms with Catholic Poland: Thietmar of Merseburg, Chronicle (1013–1018)
4.15 Poland’s self-image: Boleslaw’s Coin (992–1000)
4.16 Kievan Rus’: The Russian Primary Chronicle (c.1113, incorporating earlier materials)
Northern Europe
4.17 An Ottonian courtier-bishop: Ruotger, Life of Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne (late 960s)
4.18 Law: King Æthelred II, Law Code (1008)
4.19 Christianity comes to Denmark: The Jelling Monument (960s)
4.20 The Vikings as enemies: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (c.1048?)
Map 4.1: Southern England
4.21 The Vikings as heroes: Egil’s Saga (10th cent./13th cent.)
Timeline for Chapter Four
V. New Configurations (c.1050–c.1150)
The Seljuk Transformation
5.1 The Seljuks as enemies: Abu’l-Fazl Beyhaqi, The Battle of Dandanqan (before 1077)
Map 5.1: The Early Seljuk Empire
5.2 Shi‘ites vilified: Nizam al-Mulk, The Book of Policy (1091)
A Profit Economy
5.3 Cultivating new lands: Frederick of Hamburg’s Agreement with Colonists from Holland (1106)
5.4 Urban commerce: Ibn ‘Abdun, Regulations for the Market at Seville (early 12th cent.)
5.5 The role of royal patronage: Henry I, Privileges for the Citizens of London (1130–1133)
Church Reform
5.6 The pope’s challenge: Gregory VII, Admonition to Henry IV (1075)
5.7 The royal response: Henry IV, Letter to Gregory VII (1075)
5.8 The papal view: Gregory VII, Letter to Hermann of Metz (1076)
The Clergy in Action
5.9 Dressing for the liturgy: Vesting Prayers (c.1000?)
5.10 Keeping tabs: A Visitation Record (1268)
The First Crusade
5.11 Calling the crusade: Robert the Monk, Pope Urban II Preaches the First Crusade (1095)
5.12 Jewish martyrs: Solomon bar Samson, Chronicle (c.1140)
5.13 A Westerner in the Holy Land: Stephen of Blois, Letter to His Wife (March 1098)
5.14 The Muslim view: Ibn al-Qalanisi, The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades (before 1160)
The Norman Conquest of England
5.15 The pro-Norman position: William of Jumièges, The Deeds of the Dukes of the Normans (c.1070)
5.16 The native position: “Florence of Worcester,” Chronicle of Chronicles (early 12th cent.)
5.17 The Conquest depicted: The Bayeux Tapestry (end of the 11th cent.)
5.18 Exploiting the Conquest: Domesday Book (1087)
The Twelfth-Century Renaissance
5.19 Logic: Peter Abelard, Glosses on Porphyry (c.1100)
5.20 Medical science: Constantine the African’s translation of Johannitius’s Isagoge (before 1098)
Cluniacs and Cistercians
5.21 The Cistercian view: St. Bernard, Apologia (1125)
5.22 The Cluniac view: Peter the Venerable, Miracles (mid-1130s–mid-1150s)
Timeline for Chapter Five
VI. Institutionalizing Aspirations (c.1150–c.1250)
Wars Holy and Unholy
6.1 The Northern Crusades: Helmold, The Chronicle of the Slavs (1167–1168)
6.2 Saladin’s jihad: Ibn Shaddad, The Rare and Excellent History of Saladin (1195–1216)
6.3 The Fourth Crusade: Nicetas Choniates, O City of Byzantium (c.1215)
Grounding Justice in Royal Law
6.4 English common law: The Assize of Clarendon (1166)
6.5 The legislation of a Spanish king: The Laws of Cuenca (1189–1193)
Local Arrangements
6.6 A Byzantine monastery on Cyprus: Neophytos, Testamentary Rule for the Hermitage of the Holy Cross (1214)
6.7 Doing business: A Genoese societas (1253)
6.8 Women’s work: Guild Regulations of the Parisian Silk Fabric Makers (13th cent.)
Bureaucracy at the Papal Curia
6.9 The growth of papal business: Innocent III, Letters (1200–1202)
6.10 Petitioning the papacy: Register of Thomas of Hereford (1281)
6.11 Mocking the papal bureaucracy: The Gospel According to the Marks of Silver (c.1200)
Confrontations
6.12 Henry II and Becket: The Constitutions of Clarendon (1164)
6.13 Emperor and pope: The Diet of Besançon (1157)
6.14 King and nobles: Magna Carta (1215)
New Literary Forms
6.15 Byzantine romantic fiction: Niketas Eugenianos, Drosilla and Charikles (c.1156)
6.16 Love and propriety in al-Andalus: Anonymous, The Tale of Bayad and Riyad (early 13th cent.)
6.17 A troubadour love song: Bernart de Ventadorn, When I see the lark (c.1147–after 1172)
6.18 A trobairitz love song: La Comtessa de Dia, I have been in heavy grief (late 12th–early 13th cent.)
6.19 A political song from the south of France: Bertran de Born, Half a sirventés I’ll sing (1190)
6.20 Fabliaux: The Piece of Shit and The Ring That Controlled Erections (13th cent.)
6.21 Romance: Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot (c.1177–1181)
Developments in Religious Sensibilities
6.22 Disciplining and purifying Christendom: Decrees of Lateran IV (1215)
6.23 Devotion through poverty: Peter Waldo in The Chronicle of Laon (1173–1178)
6.24 Devotion through mysticism: Jacques de Vitry, The Life of Mary of Oignies (1213)
6.25 The mendicant movement: St. Francis, A Rule for Hermitages (1217–1221) and The Testament (1226)
6.26 Religious feeling turned violent: Chronicle of Trier (1231)
Timeline for Chapter Six
VII. Tensions and Reconciliations (c.1250–c.1350)
The Mongols and the Mamluks
7.1 A spokesman for Mongol rule: Rashid al-Din, Universal History (before 1318)
Genealogy 7.1: The Mongol Khans
7.2 A Mongol reply to the pope: Guyuk Khan, Letter to Pope Innocent IV (1246)
7.3 The Hungarian king bewails the Mongol invasions: Béla IV, Letter to Pope Innocent IV (c.1250)
7.4 An Islamic account of the fall of Acre: Abu’l-Fida, A Short History of Mankind (1318–1319)
7.5 A Christian account of the fall of Acre: “The Templar of Tyre,” Deeds of the Cypriots (before 1343)
7.6 The global economy: Francesco Balducci Pegolotti, The Practice of Trade (c.1340s)
Map 7.1: Place Names from Azov to Hangzhou
New Formations in Eastern Europe
7.7 Poland as a frontier society: The Henryków Book (c.1268)
7.8 The Lithuanian duke flirts with Christianity: Duke Gediminas, Letter to Pope John XXII (1322) and Letter to the townspeople of Lübeck, Rostock, Stralsund, Greifswald, Stettin, and Gotland (May 26, 1323)
7.9 Pagan Lithuania in Christian Europe: Peter of Dusburg, Chronicle of the Prussian Land (c.1320–1326)
7.10 Bulgaria claims a saint: The Short Life of St. Petka (Paraskeve) of Tarnov (13th cent.)
Transformations in the Cities
7.11 The popolo gains power: The Ghibelline Annals of Piacenza (1250)
7.12 The Hanseatic League: Decrees of the League (1260–1264)
7.13 Too big to fail? A Great Bank Petitions the City Council of Siena (1298)
Heresies and Persecutions
7.14 Inquisition: Jacques Fournier, Episcopal Register (1318–1325)
7.15 Jews in England: Statute of the Jewry (1275) and Petition of the “Commonalty” of the Jews (shortly after 1275)
Rulers and Ruled
7.16 The Spanish Cortes: Alfonso X, Cortes of Valladolid (1258)
7.17 The commons participate: Summons of Representatives of Shires and Towns to Parliament (1295)
7.18 A charismatic ruler: Joinville, The Life of St. Louis (1272)
7.19 The papal challenge: Boniface VIII, Unam sanctam (1302)
Modes of Thought, Feeling, and Devotion
7.20 Scholasticism: Thomas Aquinas, On Love (1271)
7.21 The vernacular comes into its own: Dante, Inferno, Canto V (Paolo and Francesca) (1313–1321)
7.22 Medieval drama: Directions for an Annunciation Play (14th cent.)
Timeline for Chapter Seven
VIII. Catastrophe and Creativity (c.1350–c.1500)
The Black Death
8.1 The effects of the plague: Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron (1348–1351)
8.2 Warding off the plague through processions: Ibn Battuta, Travels (before 1368)
8.3 Warding off the plague through prayer: Archbishop William, Letter to His Official at York (July 1348)
8.4 Blaming the Jews for the Black Death: Heinrich von Diessenhoven, On the Persecution of the Jews (c.1350)
The Ottomans
8.5 A Turkish hero: Ashikpashazade, Othman Comes to Power (late 15th cent.)
8.6 Diplomacy: Peace Agreement between the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and the Signoria of Venice (January 25, 1478)
Byzantium: Decline and Fall
8.7 Before the fall: Patriarch Anthony, Letter to the Russian Church (1395)
8.8 The fall bewailed: George Sphrantzes, Chronicle (before 1477)
8.9 Byzantine culture persists: Petitions from the Greek Community at Venice (1470–1511)
War and Social Unrest
8.10 Chivalric and non-chivalric models: Froissart, Chronicles (c.1400)
8.11 National feeling: Jeanne d’Arc, Letter to the English (1429)
8.12 The woolworkers (ciompi) revolt at Siena: Donato di Neri and his son, Chronicle of Siena (1371)
8.13 The commons revolt: Wat Tyler’s Rebellion (after 1381)
Crises and Changes in the Church and Religion
8.14 The conciliarist movement: Jean Gerson, Sermon at the Council of Constance (1415)
8.15 The Hussite program: The Four Articles of Prague (1420)
The Renaissance
8.16 Re-evaluating antiquity: Cincius Romanus, Letter to His Most Learned Teacher Franciscus de Fiana (1416)
8.17 A new theory of art: Leon Battista Alberti, On Painting (1435–1436)
8.18 Defending women: Christine de Pisan, The Book of the City of Ladies (1404–1407)
Finding a New World
8.19 Mapping the New World: Juan de la Cosa, World Chart (1500)
8.20 Taking Mexico: Hernán Cortés, The Second Letter (1520)
Timeline for Chapter Eight
Sources
Index of Names, Places, and Readings
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