LIGHTING THE DARK AGES

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31386, 3 June 1967, Page 4

LIGHTING THE DARK AGES

(Reviewed by T.D.) The Birth of Europe. By R. S. Lopez. Phoenix. 442 pages. Someone once remarked that the Dark Ages are called so mainly because we are in the dark about what went on then. If there is any truth in the remark. Professor Lopez has done the general reading public a signal service in minimising it. Th? 1967 Phoenix House edition of “The Birth of Europe” with 23 maps, 8 colour plates, 32 black and white plates and 80 other illustrations gives an outstanding analysis of all the elements that have gone to make the Europe that all men know and Professor Lopez loves.

The distinguished author was born in Genoa; so it is not surprising that he became fascinated with economic history and. from his present rostrum at Yale, is recognised as a world authority on Medieval studies. His earlier books have made him well known to scholars. The reception given “The Brith of Europe” since its publication in French in 1962, would suggest that this English translation will further enhance an impressive reputation.

Others have told of the making of the Middle Ages, but none from so authentic an angle as that of this economist and demographer. After surveying the Mediterranean community of ancient times, Professor Lopez examines the crises which led to .the disintegration of the Empire of the West and the withdrawal of the Byzantine East He sees the Carolingian Empire as a frail giant and the Carolingian revival as a false start in the process of rebuilding the Catholic West Once the Viking and Magyar raids cease and the Arab menace is contained, the real beginning of Europe takes place in the tenth century. Sufficiently sheltered from attack, the West sees the turn of the demographic tide, the coming of agricultural improvements, the beginnings of commerce and some faltering progress in industry. Then follows the hardening of the social hierarchy, the confrontation of imperial idea with Universal Church, the struggles) of nascent States and the development of new cultural forms.

Nowhere does Professor Lopez reveal his mastery more than in his enthusiastic yet balanced description of Europe in the High Middle

Ages. Only the expert will . fail to be astonished at the j vitality of the medieval urban community, the boldness of the medieval adventurer, the * breadth of medieval know- " ledge, the magnitude of the ■ medieval cultural achieve- ■ ment At the same time, the ' author throws considerable “ light on the strange blend of B liberalism and intolerance, of ‘ rationalism and ignorance, of '■ faith and superstition that : characterise thd splendid , era. ? In discussing the four- * teenth century decline, Pror fessor Lopez draws attention ’ to the mysterious return of " plague in 1315 and its J periodic ravaging after the ‘ fearful calamity of 1348-50. ' He also suggests that parts . of Europe were pouring more 1 wealth than they could afford I into cultural activities, ’ instancing the story of ’ Beauvais when its glorious ' cathedral was being built. I Though Europe suffered from the exhaustion of an under- ) developed economy, if doomed to death, she was ) fated not to die. Among the features of this fascinating book are the constant references to other civilisations, notably Chinese; and the author sees movements curiously parallel in several. Even though our textbooks take their bearings from the Greenwich mean, Professor Lopez draws attention to the fourteenth centuiy demographic and economic decline not merely in Europe but also in far away China and among the Mayas and the pre-Inca civilisations of America. He notes that the rise of the guilds and the coming of the code of chivalry have their simultaneous counterparts in Islam and China. “The Birth of Europe” is crammed full of interesting information, unusual quota- , tions and gems of wisdom which will be quoted for many years to come. Some of the more surprising assertions refer to the small num-, ber of the barbarian invaders, the naval and bureaucratic strength of the Byzantine state, the refusal to call the “Donation of Constantine” a s simple forgery, the permanent j Importance of the Carolingian i revival in handwriting, Latin i grammar and classical texts, i the fact that John Scotus < Erigena knew Greek Well, the i defence of tenth century 1 Popes, the small armies of j feudal times, the climatic ] changes that grew grapes in ( England and provided water t for the Sahara, the import- , ance of the inventions of the ,

Dark Ages, the local name of “skyscrapers” given to tenth century and twelfth centuiy towers, the praise of vernacular Latin, the origin and tragedy of the Crusades, the estimate of Richard I as “arrogant and cruel,” the prosperity of twelfth century Sicily, the economic soundness of the Latin states of the East, the real achievement of the -astrologers in developing chemical analysis and in producing alcohol, nitric and sulphuric acid, the thirteenth century output of genuine maps. The book is written in a simple, lucid, unvarnished style, but it is punctuated by gems of expression which linger in the memory: "The wealth won with so much difficulty and danger in. trade and lending. Anally burled Itself in the land, instead of fertilising the business that had produced it." "Though the organic disease of the Empire was economic, war was the apparent cause of death.” “The European symphony lacked a conductor.” “The appearance of the gentleman merchant paved the way for the merchant gentleman. “It is as easy to criticise the feudal system as to prove that

the telephone Is better than the carrier pigeon, The fact remains that before electricity was tamed, the pigeon was helpful."

"The Iliad of the Barone was preceded by the Odyssey of the Merchants.’’ The author has some wise things to say about tolerance and some wistful allusions to the sequence of events that destroyed its chance of early flower. His learning is broad; his judgments are balanced. He displays a kindly wit from time to time and sheds more than a ray of light on many aspects of history through his interest in the origin of words: “companion,” one who shares bread; “galley,” a swordfish; “ogre” is Magyar; “budget” is a little purse! Although “The Birth of Europe” presupposes some knowledge of the general current of European history, it is essentially popular reading and uses visual aids with an impressive prodigality. About 20 slight typographical errors and a few mild solecisms seem the only blemishes. The bibliography confines itself to the main books in English. On the other hand, the appendix on the rulers and Church leaders of the Catholic Middle Ages is an exhaustive one and will prove most useful. The value of the book for reference is considerably enhanced by its threefold index of persons, places and subjects. “The Birth of Europe" is a mine of positive and up-to-date information, brilliant interpretation, wise observation and apt quotation. It will be quarried for many years to come by all who want to know more about the origins of the extraordinary civilisation which grew up in a corner of the great Asiatic land-mass and spread to every corner of the globe.