The Narrative Worlds of Paul the Deacon: Between Empires and Identities in Lombard Italy [Paperback]

Written as the Lombard kingdom was on the cusp of downfall at the hands of the Carolingian empire, the works of Paul the Deacon (c. 720-799) are vital to understanding the history of Italy and Western Europe in the Middle Ages. But until now, scholars have tended to neglect the narrative structure of his texts, which reflect in important ways his personal responses to the events of his time. This study presents fresh interpretations of Paul's Historia Romana, Vita Sancti Gregorii Magni, Gesta Episcopum Mettensium, and Historia Langobardorum by focusing on him as an individual and on his strategies of argumentation, ultimately advancing a new conception of Paul as a dynamic author whose development of multiple lines of thought deserves closer examination.This study presents fresh interpretations of the works of Paul the Deacon (c. 720-799), which are vital to understanding the history of Italy and Western Europe in the Middle Ages.Christopher Heath teaches at the Manchester Metropolitan University. His interests include historiography, and socio-economic and religious change between 450 and 950. His monograph The Narrative Worlds of Paul the Deacon was published in 2017 by AUP. Currently he is working on a study of the Lombard king Liutprand.List of Figures, Tables & Diagrams, Acknowledgements, List of Abbreviations, Introduction, 1. 'Vir Valde Peritus': Paul the Deacon and his Contexts, 2. The Early Narratives, 3. The Historia Langobardorum: The Structure of Paul's World, 4. The Historia Langobardorum: The Six Books in Detail, 5. Conclusion, Bibliography, Index, EndnotesUS? Christopher Heath / Taylor & Francis Group 2017