Visigothic Kingdom in Iberia: Construction and Invention

The late ancient Visigothic kingdom of Iberia was rooted in Roman Hispania, but Catholic bishops created a narrative of process and power that became the official record. Santiago Castellanos argues that the delineation of these two projects—of construction and invention—form the core of the Visigothic Kingdom in Iberia. He reads documents of the period and utilizes archaeological findings to determine how the political system of elites related to local communities and how the documentation they created promoted an ideological agenda.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 13 November 2020
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

The late ancient Visigothic kingdom of Iberia, Santiago Castellanos contends, drew its foundations from the Roman Hispania, but Catholic bishops subsequently crafted a narrative of process and power from their episcopal perspective, which became the official record and primary source of documentation for subsequent historians. The delineation of these two distinct endeavors—of construction and invention—forms the central focus of the Visigothic Kingdom in Iberia. Castellanos delves into documents of the period that are relatively less known among Anglophone scholars, encompassing records of church councils, sermons, and letters, and employs archaeological findings to ascertain the relationship between the political system of elites and local communities, as well as the impact of the documentation they produced on an ideological agenda. Particularly, he examines the archaeological record, revealing that rural communities within the region were intricate worlds unto themselves, characterized by distinct internal social stratification that was largely overlooked by the literate elites.

The late ancient Visigothic kingdom of Iberia, Santiago Castellanos contends, drew its foundations from the Roman Hispania, but Catholic bishops subsequently crafted a narrative of process and power from their episcopal perspective, which became the official record and primary source of documentation for subsequent historians. The delineation of these two distinct endeavors—of construction and invention—forms the central focus of the Visigothic Kingdom in Iberia. Castellanos delves into documents of the period that are relatively less known among Anglophone scholars, encompassing records of church councils, sermons, and letters, and employs archaeological findings to ascertain the relationship between the political system of elites and local communities, as well as the impact of the documentation they produced on an ideological agenda. Particularly, he examines the archaeological record, revealing that rural communities within the region were intricate worlds unto themselves, characterized by distinct internal social stratification that was largely overlooked by the literate elites.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780812252538