LES EMPIRES MÉDIÉVAUX

A round-the-world tour of 16 medieval empires conducted by a team of eminent experts.

As a political, diplomatic, military and cultural construction at the crossroads of space and time, “empire” is a particularly relevant concept to describe and understand the world of the Middle Ages. An empire is an
ensemble that cannot be integrated into any other; the emperor is the one who proclaims he has no human power above him, and proves it. Between the fifth and fifteenth centuries, such constructions rose and fell
almost everywhere on the planet. Some were ephemeral, others of long duration. They clashed or were unaware of each other, left impressive traces or disappeared almost entirely. During the same period, institutions, religions, heroes, wars and myths animated societies that illuminate each other when we view them side by side, as they are presented in this ambitious and unparalleled collective work that combines clear purpose with flawless research.
A global Middle Ages thus appears, simultaneously Carolingian, Byzantine, Khmer, Serbian, Aztec, Mongol, Abbasid, Ottoman, Bulgarian, Venetian, Chinese, Japanese, Norman, German, Plantagenet and Malay. Each facet is described by a renowned specialist.

A professor of medieval history at the École normale supérieure in Lyon (ENS-LSH Lyon) and a specialist on the Teutonic Knights, SYLVAIN GOUGUENHEIM is also the author of essays such as Le Moyen Âge en questions (The Middle Ages in questions). He has assembled a group of leading experts to present these 16 great medieval empires.