Envoys and Political Communication in the Late Antique West, 411}}}533 [Hardcover]

Analysis of diplomatic communication in the period of the 'fall of Rome'.This book examines the role of envoys in the period from the establishment of the first 'barbarian kingdoms' in the West, to the eve of Justinian's wars of reconquest. It shows how ongoing practices of Roman imperial administration shaped new patterns of political interaction in the novel context of the earliest medieval states. Close analysis of sources with special interest in embassies offers insight into a variety of genres: chronicles, panegyrics, hagiographies, letters, and epitaph. This study makes a significant contribution to the developing field of ancient and medieval communication.This book examines the role of envoys in the period from the establishment of the first 'barbarian kingdoms' in the West, to the eve of Justinian's wars of reconquest. It shows how ongoing practices of Roman imperial administration shaped new patterns of political interaction in the novel context of the earliest medieval states. Close analysis of sources with special interest in embassies offers insight into a variety of genres: chronicles, panegyrics, hagiographies, letters, and epitaph. This study makes a significant contribution to the developing field of ancient and medieval communication.Examining the role of envoys from the establishment of the first barbarian kingdoms in the West, to the eve of Justinian's wars of reconquest, this study reveals how Roman imperial administration influenced new patterns of political interaction in the earliest medieval states. Close analysis of sources with special interest in embassies offers insight into a variety of genres: chronicles, panegyrics, hagiographies, letters, and epitaphs. The study will make a significant contribution to the developing field of ancient and medieval communication.Preface; 1. Embassies and political communication in the post-imperial world; 2. The provincial view of Hydatius; 3. The hero as envoy: Sidonium Appollinaris's Panegyric on Al£¡