Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Abbreviations and Symbols
Reading Primary Sources: A Short Introduction
I. Prelude: The Roman World Transformed (c.300-c.600)
1.1 Toleration or Favoritism? The Edict of Milan (313)
1.2 Law: The Theodosian Code (438)
1.3 The Eremitical Model: Athanasius, The Life of Saint Antony of Egypt (357)
1.4 Conversion: Augustine, Confessions (397-401)
1.5 Relating This World to the Next: Augustine, The City of God (413-426)
1.6 The Christian View of Plague: Gregory the Great, Letter to Bishop Dominic of Carthage (600)
1.7 Monasticism: The Benedictine Rule (c.530-c.560)
1.8 Merovingian Gaul’s Bishop-Historians: Gregory of Tours, Histories (576-594)
II. The Emergence of Sibling Cultures (c.600-c.750)
2.1 The Iconoclastic Argument: The Synod of 754
2.2 The Sacred Text: Qur’an Suras 1, 53:1-18, 81, 87, 96, 98 (c.610-622)
2.3 Muslim Conquests: John of Nikiu, Chronicle (c.690)
2.4 Umayyad Diplomacy: The Treaty of Tudmir (713)
2.5 A Model Christian Queen: The Life of Queen Balthild (c.680)
2.6 Creating a Roman Christian Identity for England: Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (731)
III. Creating New Identities (c.750-c.900)
3.1 An Abbasid Victory in Verse: Abu Tammam, The Sword Gives Truer Tidings (838)
3.2 An Early View of the Prophet: Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Life of Muhammad (754-767)
3.3 Hadith Literature: Al-Bukhari, On Fasting (9th cent.)
3.4 The Pope and the Carolingians: Pope Stephen II, Letters to King Pippin III (755-756)
3.5 Charlemagne as Roman Emperor: Einhard, Life of Charlemagne (825-826?)
3.6 Modeling the State on Old Testament Israel: The Admonitio Generalis (789)
3.7 Manors in the West: Polyptyque of the Church of Saint Mary of Marseille (814-815)
IV. Political Communities Reordered (c.900-c.1050)
4.1 Fragmentation in the Islamic World: Al-Tabari, The Defeat of the Zanj Revolt (c.915)
4.2 Evanescent Centralization in al-Andalus: Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi, Praise Be to Him (929-940)
4.3 Donating to Cluny: Cluny’s Foundation Charter (910) and various charters of donation (10th-11th cent.)
4.4 Defining Sexual Sins: Burchard of Worms, Decretum (c.1020)
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)
4.7 Rebellion at Cologne: Annals of Lampert of Hersfeld (1077-1079)
4.8 The Powerful in the Byzantine Countryside: Romanus I Lecapenus, Novel (934)
4.9 Imperial Rule under Two Sisters: Michael Psellus, Zoe and Theodora (before 1063)
4.10 Poland’s Self-Image: Boleslaw’s Coin (992-1000)
4.11 The Vikings as They Saw Themselves: Egil’s Saga (10th cent. /13th cent.)
4.12 The Vikings as the English Saw Them: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (c.1048?)
V. New Configurations (c.1050-c.1150)
5.1 Launching the Investiture Conflict: Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085), Admonition to Henry IV (1075)
5.2 The Royal Response: Henry IV, Letter to Gregory VII (1075)
5.3 The Bayeux Tapestry (end of the 11th cent.)
5.4 Calling the Crusade: Robert the Monk, Pope Urban II Preaches the First Crusade (1095)
5.5 Jewish Martyrs: Solomon bar Samson, Chronicle (c.1140)
5.6 The Muslim View of the First Crusade: Ibn al-Qalanisi, The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades (before 1160)
5.7 Logic: Peter Abelard, Sic et Non (?1122-1126)
5.8 On Marriage: Peter Lombard, Sentences (1148-1151)
VI. Ambitions Realized and Thwarted (c.1150-c.1250)
6.1 A Troubadour Love Song: Bernart de Ventadorn, When I See the Lark (c.114
