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Que recouvre le nom générique de « Romains »? Certainement pas les seuls citoyens de l'Empire, jusqu'à sa chute en 476. Sur quinze siècles se dégage une nature très diverse, au fil des évolutions territoriales, politiques et idéologiques, culturelles et religieuses.À la « fabrication des Romains » à partir du ier siècle qui souligne les différences entre les Romains occidentaux et les Romains orientaux succèdent les recompositions identitaires de la romanité entre l'Adriatique et les Balkans, après les invasions des ve-viie siècles et la disparition de l'Empire d'0ccident. Se dessinent alors deux grandes catégories de Romains ayant survécu jusqu'à la fin du Moyen Âge et au-delà, entre Romeri, Rumani latinophones des Balkans et Romaioi hellénophones de l'Empire byzantin.Car cette enquête révèle que le lien le plus tangible entre les Romains de la fin de l'Antiquité et les populations ayant continué à s'identifier comme romaines au Moyen Âge (et après) procède d'abord de trois éléments : la langue (romane ou grecque), la religion et le droit. Ces éléments ont contribué à assurer la pérennité d'une identité romaine aussi bien dans l'Empire byzantin que dans les communautés valaques des Balkans. À l'opposé de l'Occident, où l'identité romaine s'est effacée dès le Haut Moyen Âge, laissant place à la Renaissance aux Romains essentialisés ou métaphorisés de la philosophie politique occidentale.

Even 700 years after the suppression of the Order of the Temple and the execution of the last grandmaster, Jacques de Molay, there is no shortage of publications on this influential military order. Yet unlike other medieval institutions the Templars are subject to speculative fiction and popular myth which threaten to swamp the fruits of scholarly endeavour. Fortunately, recent years have produced a thriving academic scholarship which is challenging these myths. More and more sources are currently being edited, particularly those for the trial of the Templars (1307–1312). Others are still awaiting indepth study, among them, surprisingly, the greater part of the charters that cover more than 150 years of the Order's history.The papers in this volume step into this gap and critically evaluate new directions in Templar studies on the basis of as-yet unedited source material. Open issues and desiderata regarding the sources are discussed and from a range of inspiring results a new status quaestionis is proposed that will not only provide a better understanding of the Order's archaeological, economical, religious, administrative and military history, but also set new points of departure for the editing of charters and administrative documents. The papers here are grouped into six sections, focusing on the headquarters of the Order, its charters, manpower and finance, religious life and finally the suppression and the Order's afterlife.

Marriage today is our prime social and legal institution. Historically, it was also the principal economic institution. This collection of essays offers a wealth of original research into the economic, social and legal history of the marital partnership in northern Europe over a 500-year period. Erickson's introduction explores the concept of the marital economy and sketches the legal and economic background across the region. Chapters by Ågren, Gudrun Andersson, Agnes Arnórsdóttir, Inger Dübeck, Elizabeth Ewan, Rosemarie Fiebranz, Catherine Frances, Hanne Johansen, Ann-Catrin Östman, Anu Pylkkänen, Hilde Sandvik and Jane Whittle, are organized according to the three economic stages of the marital life-cycle: forming the partnership; managing the partnership; and dissolving the partnership. In conclusion, Michael Roberts explores how the historical development of modern economic theory has removed marriage from its central position at the heart of the economy.

Sheep are the thread that runs through the history of the English countryside. Our fortunes were once founded on sheep, and this book tells a story of wool and money and history, of merchants and farmers and shepherds, of English yeomen and how they got their freedom, and above all, of the soil. Sheep have helped define our culture and topography, impacting on everything from accent and idiom, architecture, roads and waterways, to social progression and wealth. With his eye for the idiosyncratic, Philip meets the native breeds that thrive in this country; he tells stories about each breed, meets their shepherds and owners, learns about their past - and confronts the present realities of sheep farming. Along the way, Philip meets the people of the countryside and their many professions: the mole-catchers, the stick-makers, the tobacco-twisters and clog-wrights. He explores this artisan heritage as he re-discovers the countryside, and finds a lifestyle parallel to modern existence, struggling to remain unchanged - and at its heart, always sheep.

A Punishment for Each Criminal is the first in-depth analysis of how gender influenced Swedish medieval law. Christine Ekholst demonstrates how the law codes gradually and unevenly introduced women as possible perpetrators for all serious crimes. The laws reveal that legislators not only expected men and women to commit different types of crimes; they also punished men and women in different ways if they were convicted. The laws consistently stipulated different methods of executions for men and women; while men were hanged or broken on the wheel, women were buried alive, stoned, or burned at the stake. A Punishment for Each Criminal explores the background to the important legislative changes that took place when women were made personally responsible for their own crimes.

‘More ghosts and goblins I think were prevalent in Wales than in England or any other country.'So wrote researcher William Howells way back in 1831 – and the author of this compelling collection believes he was right. Wales is a fearfully haunted place. It abounds in castles and mansions, ancient churches, lonely lanes and crossroads, even bare mountainsides which can lay claim to a resident spook or two. For the first time, this haunted heritage has been explored in depth. Richard Holland has carried out a careful study of original sources, delving into old books, journals, Eisteddfod transactions and unpublished essays. His research has revealed insights into Welsh folklore and resurrected ghost stories which have long been forgotten. The ghosts of Wales are of great age, their manners and appearance hinting at beliefs older than the oldest books. They are bold and memorable, striking in appearance, forceful in character, often terrifying and sometimes even dangerous. Prepare for a fascinating county-by-county tour of hundreds of ghostly encounters from one of the most haunted countries in the world.

Across Death Valley tells the remarkable story of one woman's brave struggle to keep her family alive during one of the most arduous and dramatic episodes in the history of Western migration. A riveting narrative by a writer known for her books on pioneers, Across Death Valley is a fictionalized account based on the true story of the legendary journey that Juliet Wells Brier, her husband, and their three sons undertook during the Gold Rush from Salt Lake City to the settlement of Los Angeles. Departing Salt Lake City via wagon train, the Briers had been promised an easy trip along the well-traveled Old Spanish Trail to California. But, after several agonizing weeks, some of the families—the Briers included—broke off from the main group to continue on an unmapped shortcut. As hardships mounted they splintered into smaller groups until, finally, the Briers were traveling alone. Their chosen route led directly into Death Valley—eventually, on foot. Diminutive Julia piggybacked her youngest son even when she was near death from thirst and exhaustion. Rich in compelling detail, Across Death Valley is an unforgettable tale of courage, love, and hope.