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

Sources
Index of Names, Places, and Readings