Leadership, Social Cohesion, and Identity in Late Antique Spain and Gaul (500-700)

The replacement of the Roman Empire in the West with emerging kingdoms like Visigothic Spain and Merovingian Gaul resulted in new societies with shifting identities and new points of cohesion. This volume examines two kingdoms, Gaul and Spain, to understand how they forged different strategies and drew upon different resources to strengthen their unity, shape social ties, and consolidate their political status.

Format: Hardback
Length: 282 pages
Publication date: 14 February 2023
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

The fall of the Roman Empire in the West paved the way for the emergence of new kingdoms, such as Visigothic Spain and Merovingian Gaul. While these kingdoms brought about significant societal changes, they did not result in widespread population displacement. The shifting identities and the formation of new points of cohesion under different leaders and leadership structures led to these transformations. This book delves into the post-Roman west by examining two kingdoms, Gaul and Spain, to understand how this process unfolded. Despite sharing certain continuities with the Roman past, Gaul and Spain emerged as distinct political entities that adopted different strategies to strengthen their unity, shape social relationships, and consolidate their political status.

The Roman Empire's decline in the West led to the rise of new kingdoms, including Visigothic Spain and Merovingian Gaul. While these kingdoms brought about significant societal changes, they did not result in widespread population displacement. Shifting identities and the formation of new points of cohesion under different leaders and leadership structures drove these transformations. This book explores the post-Roman west by examining two kingdoms, Gaul and Spain, to understand how this process unfolded. Despite sharing certain continuities with the Roman past, Gaul and Spain emerged as distinct political entities that adopted different strategies to strengthen their unity, shape social relationships, and consolidate their political status.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789463725958