ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The view of the past advanced by historians is often obscured by fogs or mists specific to each historical period. Modern research has defined the differences between classical, medieval and modern times, and contrasted the otherworldly emphasis of late antique and medieval thought with the worldly emphasis of moderns and of their predecessors in antiquity. The large majority of the primary sources cited in the book derive from charters containing contracts, testaments, local customs and other economic and constitutional materials. More fascinating to many readers are texts that allow them to see how successful the individual actors on history's stage were, whether they foresaw the future or were able to understand their present. The so-called autobiography of Peter, the hermit of Monte Morrone, who became Pope Celestine V, gives a relatively frank view of its hero's milieu.
