Ethnicity and statehood in Pontic-Caspian Eurasia (8-13th c.) : contributing to a reassessment
What is the line between the âancientâ world and the âmedievalâ world? Is it 476? 330? 632? 800? Most historians acknowledge there is no crisp line and that these are arbitrary distinctions, but they are made anyway, taking on lives of their own. I believe they are much the same world, except for the pervading influence of one flavor of monotheism or another. This thesis endeavors to study top-down, monotheistic conversions in Pontic-Caspian Eurasia and their respective mythologizations, preserved both textually and archaeologically, which serve as a primary factor for what we might call âstate formation.â These narratives also function, in many cases, as the bases of many modern nationalisms, however haphazard they may be. I have attempted to apply this idea to Christian Rome (Byzantium)âs diachronic missionary policy around the Black Sea to reveal how what we today call the âAge of Migrationsâ (the so-called âGermanicâ invasions of the Roman Empire), was actually in perpetual continuity all the way up to the Mongolian invasions and perhaps even later. In this way, I hope to enhance the context by which we understand the entirety of not only Western history, but to effectively bind it
Feldman, Alex
CB History of civilization ; CN Inscriptions. Epigraphy. ; D051 Ancient History ; D111 Medieval History
Ethnicity and statehood in Pontic-Caspian Eurasia (8-13th c.) : contributing to a reassessment. What is the line between the âancientâ world and the âmedievalâ world? Is it 476? 330? 632? 800? Most historians acknowledge there is no crisp line and that these are arbitrary distinctions, but they are made anyway, taking on lives of their own. I believe they are much the same world, except for the pervading influence of one flavor of monotheism or another. This thesis endeavors to study top-down, monotheistic conversions in Pontic-Caspian Eurasia and their respective mythologizations, preserved both textually and archaeologically, which serve as a primary factor for what we might call âstate formation.â These narratives also function, in many cases, as the bases of many modern nationalisms, however haphazard they may be. I have attempted to apply this idea to Christian Rome (Byzantium)âs diachronic missionary policy around the Black Sea to reveal how what we today call the âAge of Migrationsâ (the so-called âGermanicâ invasions of the Roman Empire), was actually in perpetual continuity all the way up to the Mongolian invasions and perhaps even later. In this way, I hope to enhance the context by which we understand the entirety of not only Western history, but to effectively bind it
ethnicity eurasia contribute reassessment line ancient_world medieval world historian acknowledge line arbitrary distinction_make take life own believe much world except pervade influence another endeavor study top_down monotheistic conversion eurasia respective preserve textually archaeologically serve primary factor_might call state_formation narrative also function many_case base many modern nationalism however may attempt_apply idea christian rome byzantium diachronic missionary policy around black_sea reveal today call age so_called germanic invasion roman_empire actually perpetual continuity way mongolian invasion perhaps_even later way hope enhance context entirety western history effectively bind