Review: Rome and Byzantium in the Visigothic Kingdom: Beyond "Imitatio Imperii," edited by Damián Fernández, Molly Lester, and Jamie Wood.
This volume, resulting from a 2019 Princeton workshop, examines how the Visigothic Kingdom in Iberia engaged with Roman and Byzantine imperial models beyond simple imitation, emphasizing the plurality and flexibility of "romanitas" (Romanness). Through thirteen chapters, contributors analyze a wide...
| Published in: | Studies in Late Antiquity Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 114 - 119 |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Book Review |
| Published: |
University of California Press
Spring2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=191952922&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 191952922 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 24702048 L4VS jtl: Studies in Late Antiquity issn: 24702048 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Spring2026 vid: 10 iid: 1 pid: 414 pub: University of California Press artinfo: ui: 191952922 10.1525/sla.2026.10.1.114 ppf: 114 ppct: 5 formats: tig: atl: Review: Rome and Byzantium in the Visigothic Kingdom: Beyond "Imitatio Imperii," edited by Damián Fernández, Molly Lester, and Jamie Wood. aug: au: Devlin, Rebecca A. affil: University of Louisville su: Roman Empire, 30 B.C.-A.D. 476 Byzantine Empire Monarchy Middle Ages Cultural identity Political organizations Iberian Peninsula Toledo (Spain) sug: subj: Iberian Peninsula Toledo (Spain) Roman Empire, 30 B.C.-A.D. 476 Byzantine Empire Monarchy Middle Ages Cultural identity Political organizations ab: This volume, resulting from a 2019 Princeton workshop, examines how the Visigothic Kingdom in Iberia engaged with Roman and Byzantine imperial models beyond simple imitation, emphasizing the plurality and flexibility of "romanitas" (Romanness). Through thirteen chapters, contributors analyze a wide range of primary sources—including legal codes, hagiographies, and material culture—to reveal the strategic and innovative ways Visigothic rulers and elites shaped political, religious, and economic institutions in Toulouse and Toledo. The work challenges earlier historiographic trends focused on ethnic essentialism and Spanish exceptionalism, highlighting Iberian agency within broader Mediterranean networks. While archaeological evidence is incorporated to some extent, the volume primarily advances late antique scholarship by offering nuanced perspectives on Visigothic rulership, identity, and imperial symbolism. pubtype: Review doctype: Book Review src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y dt: @attributes: year: 2026 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
|---|