Rethinking the Carolingian Reforms (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781526149558)

The Carolingian period (c. 750-900) has traditionally been described as one of 'reform' or 'renaissance', where cultural and intellectual changes were imposed from above in a programme of correctio. This view leans heavily on prescriptive texts issued by kings and their entourages, foregrounding royal initiative and the cultural products of a small intellectual elite. However, attention to understudied texts and manuscripts of the period reveals a vibrant striving for moral improvement and positive change at all levels of society. This expressed itself in a variety of ways for different individuals and communities, whose personal relationships could be just as influential as top-down prescription. The often anonymous creators and copyists in a huge range of centres emerge as active participants in shaping and re-shaping the ideals of their world.

Author: Arthur Westwell
ISBN-10: 1526149559
ISBN-13: 9781526149558
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Language: English
Published: 04/25/2023
Pages: 296
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.07lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.69d