The political fragmentation of Italy—created by Charlemagne’s conquest of a part of the Lombard Kingdom in 774 and the weakening of the Byzantine Empire in the eighth and ninth centuries—, the conquest of Sicily by the Muslims in the ninth century, and the Norman ‘conquest’ of southern Italy in the second half of the eleventh century favored the creation of areas inhabited by persons with different ethnic, religious, and cultural background. Moreover, this period witnessed the increase in production of historical writing in different parts of Italy. Taking advantage of these features, this volume presents some case studies about the manner in which ‘others’ were perceived, what was known about them, the role of identity, and the use of the past in early medieval Italy (ninth–eleventh centuries) focusing in particular on how early medieval Italian authors portrayed that period and were, sometimes, influenced by their own ‘present’ in their reconstruction of the past. The book will appeal to scholars and students of otherness, identity, and memory in early medieval Italy, as well as all those interested in medieval Europe.

This book asks how the inhabitants and neighbours of the Eastern Roman Empire understand their identity as Romans in the centuries following the emergence of Islam as a world-religion. Its answers lie in exploring the nature of change and continuity of social structures, self-representation, and boundaries as markers of belonging to the Roman group in the period from circa AD 650 to 850. Early medieval Romanness was integral to the Roman imperial project; its local utility as an identifier was shaped by a given community’s relationship with Constantinople, the capital of the Roman state. This volume argues that there was fundamental continuity of Roman identity from Late Antiquity through these centuries into later periods. Many transformations which are ascribed to the Romans of this era have been subjectively assigned by outsiders, separated by time or space, and are not born out by the sources. This finding dovetails with other recent historical works re-evaluating the early medieval Eastern Roman polity and its ideology.

Early Medieval Venice examines the significant changes that Venice underwent between the late-sixth and the early-eleventh centuries. From the periphery of the Byzantine Empire, Venice acquired complete independence and emerged as the major power in the Adriatic area. It also avoided absorption by neighbouring rulers, prevented serious destruction by raiders, and achieved a stable state organization, all the while progressively extending its trading activities to most of northern Italy and the eastern Mediterranean. This was not a linear process, but the Venetians obtained and defended these results with great tenacity, creating the foundations for the remarkable developments of the following centuries. This book presents the most relevant themes that characterized Venice during this epoch, including war, violence, and the manner in which ‘others’ were perceived. It examines how early medieval authors and modern scholars have portrayed this period, and how they were sometimes influenced by their own ‘present’ in their reconstruction of the past.

In the early Middle Ages Naples underwent huge changes. She was able to acquire complete independence from the Byzantine Empire and to emerge as one of the major powers in southern Italy. Moreover, Naples avoided becoming part of the Frankish Empire, being subdued by the Lombards of southern Italy, and being attacked by the Muslims, who had conquered Sicily. The Deeds of the Neapolitan Bishops, the only medieval historical text composed in Naples before the 14th century, not only reports the biographies of the Neapolitan bishops during those centuries, but also describes the history of Naples and the relationships the Neapolitans had with their dangerous neighbors. This volume presents the analysis, Latin text, English translation, and historical commentary of this work, thus offering an important contribution for a better understanding of early medieval southern Italian (and Mediterranean) history. The book will appeal to scholars and students of chronicles, Naples, and Church history in early medieval Italy, as well as all those interested in medieval Europe and the Mediterranean.

Venice and Its Neighbors from the 8th to 11th Century offers an account of the formation and character of early Venice, drawing on archaeological evidence from Venice and related sites, and written sources. The volume covers topics including: Venice’s role within the Byzantine exarchate of Ravenna during the 7th century; its independence in the mid-8th century; and its position as a dominant European and Mediterranean power. The work also discusses the birth of neighbouring communities of the northern Adriatic zone relevant to the rise of Venice. Contributors are Francesco Borri, Silvia Cadamuro, Alessandra Cianciosi, Elisa Corrò, Stefano Gasparri, Sauro Gelichi, Cecilia Moine, Annamaria Pazienza, Sandra Primon, and Chiara Provesi.

From Justinian to Branimir explores the social and political transformation of Dalmatia between c.500 and c.900 AD. The collapse of Dalmatia in the early seventh century is traditionally ascribed to the Slav migrations. However, more recent scholarship has started to challenge this theory, looking instead for alternative explanations for the cultural and social changes that took place during this period. Drawing on both written and material sources, this study utilizes recent archaeological and historical research to provide a new historical narrative of this little-known period in the history of the Balkan peninsula. This book will appeal to scholars and students interested in Byzantine and early medieval Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean. It is important reading for both historians and archaeologists.

The richest and most politically complex regions in Italy in the earliest middle ages were the Byzantine sections of the peninsula, thanks to their links with the most coherent early medieval state, the Byzantine empire. This comparative study of the histories of Rome, Ravenna, and Venice examines their common Byzantine past, since all three escaped incorporation into the Lombard kingdom in the late 7th and early 8th centuries. By 750, however, Rome and Ravenna's political links with the Byzantine Empire had been irrevocably severed. Thus, did these cities remain socially and culturally heirs of Byzantium? How did their political structures, social organisation, material culture, and identities change? Did they become part of the Western political and ideological framework of Italy? This study identifies and analyses the ways in which each of these cities preserved the structures of the Late Antique social and cultural world; or in which they adapted each and every element available to them to their own needs, at various times and in various ways, to create a new identity based partly on their Roman heritage and partly on their growing integration with the rest of medieval Italy. It tells a story which encompasses the main contemporary narratives, documentary evidence, recent archaeological discoveries, and discussions on art history; it follows the markers of status and identity through titles, names, ethnic groups, liturgy and ritual, foundation myths, representations, symbols, and topographies of power to shed light on a relatively little known area of early medieval Italian history.