Bibliograph

Politics and tradition between Rome, Ravenna and Constantinople, a study of Cassiodorus and the Variae 527-554, M. Shane Bjornlie

Type

Label

Politics and tradition between Rome, Ravenna and Constantinople, a study of Cassiodorus and the Variae 527-554, M. Shane Bjornlie

Language

eng

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Politics and tradition between Rome, Ravenna and Constantinople

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Oclc number

1030118087

Responsibility statement

M. Shane Bjornlie

Series statement

Cambridge studies in medieval life and thought, 4th ser., 89Cambridge Social Sciences eBooks

Sub title

a study of Cassiodorus and the Variae 527-554

Summary

The Variae of Cassiodorus have long been valued as an epistolary collection offering a window into political and cultural life in a so-called barbarian successor state in sixth-century Italy. However, this study is the first to treat them as more than an assemblage of individual case studies and to analyse the collection's wider historical context. M. Shane Bjornlie highlights the insights the Variae provide into early medieval political, ecclesiastical, fiscal and legal affairs and the influence of the political and military turbulence of Justinian's reconquest of Italy and of political and cultural exchanges between Italy and Constantinople. The book also explores how Cassiodorus revised, updated and assembled the Variae for publication and what this reveals about his motives for publishing an epistolary record and for his own political life at a crucial period of transformation for the Roman world.--, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Part I, The Variae as windows onto painted curtains : 1. Cassiodorus and Italy in the fifth and sixth centuries -- Part II, Cassiodorus and the circumstances of political survival: 2. The age of bureaucracy ; 3. The reign of Justinian ; 4. Voices of discontent in Constantinople ; 5. The Anicii between Rome, Ravenna and Constantinople ; 6. The memory of Boethius in the Variae -- Part III, Reading the Variae as political apologetic: 7. Literary aspects of the Variae ; 8. Antiquitas and novitas : the language of good governance in the Variae ; 9. Natura and law in Justinian's Novellae and the Variae ; 10. Reading good governance in the Variae and the De anima ; 11. The Variae as apologetic narrative ; 12. Conclusion. innovative traditionalism and its consequence

resource.variantTitle

Politics & Tradition Between Rome, Ravenna & Constantinople

Creator