ABSTRACT
Although often mentioned in textbooks about the Carolingian and Byzantine empires, the Treaty of Aachen has not received much close attention. This volume attempts not just to fill the gap, but to view the episode through both micro- and macro-lenses. Introductory chapters review the state of relations between Byzantium and the Frankish realm in the eighth and early ninth centuries, crises facing Byzantine emperors much closer to home, and the relevance of the Bulgarian problem to affairs on the Adriatic. Dalmatia’s coastal towns and the populations of the interior receive extensive attention, including the region’s ecclesiastical history and cultural affiliations. So do the local politics of Dalmatia, Venice and the Carolingian marches, and their interaction with the Byzantino-Frankish confrontation. The dynamics of the Franks’ relations with the Avars are analysed and, here too, the three-way play among the two empires and ‘in-between’ parties is a theme. Archaeological indications of the Franks’ presence are collated with what the literary sources reveal about local elites’ aspirations. The economic dimension to the Byzantino-Frankish competition for Venice is fully explored, a special feature of the volume being archaeological evidence for a resurgence of trade between the Upper Adriatic and the Eastern Mediterranean from the second half of the eighth century onwards.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|50 pages
The Franks move east
chapter 4|16 pages
Imperial politics and its regional consequences
part II|79 pages
Byzantium in turmoil
chapter 7|15 pages
Dangerous neighbours
part III|43 pages
Circles overlapping in the northern Adriatic
chapter 9|19 pages
Patriarchs as patrons
chapter 10|12 pages
Holding the Aquileian patriarchate’s title
part IV|39 pages
Dalmatia
part V|47 pages
Pannonia beneath the surface
chapter 15|15 pages
Changing political landscapes in the ninth-century central Carpathian basin
part VI|71 pages
The church between Rome and Constantinople