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Mohammed & Charlemagne Revisited: The History of a Controversy

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Mohammed & Charlemagne Revisited: The History of a ControversyDuring the 1920s Belgian historian Henri Pirenne came to an astonishing conclusion: the ancient classical civilization, which Rome had established throughout Europe and the Mediterranean world, was not destroyed by the Barbarians who invaded the western provinces in the fifth century, it was destroyed by the Arabs, whose conquest of the Middle East and North Africa terminated Roman civilization in those regions and cut off Europe from any further

During the 1920s Belgian historian Henri Pirenne came to an astonishing conclusion: the ancient classical civilization, which Rome had established throughout Europe and the Mediterranean world, was not destroyed by the Barbarians who invaded the western provinces in the fifth century, it was destroyed by the Arabs, whose conquest of the Middle East and North Africa terminated Roman civilization in those regions and cut off Europe from any further trading and cultural contact with the East. According to Pirenne, it was only in the mid-seventh century that the characteristic features of classical life disappeared from Europe, after which time the continent began to develop its own distinctive and somewhat primitive medieval culture. Pirenne's findings, published posthumously in his Mohammed et Charlemagne (1937), were even then highly controversial, for by the late nineteenth century many historians were moving towards a quite different conclusion: namely that the Arabs were actually a civilizing force who rekindled the light of classical learning in Europe after it had been extinguished by the Goths, Vandals and Huns in the fifth century. And because Pirenne went so diametrically against the grain of this thinking, the reception of his new thesis tended to be hostile. Paper after paper published during the 1940s and '50s strove to refute him. The most definitive rebuttal however appeared in the early 1980s. This was Mohammed, Charlemagne and the Origins of Europe, by English archaeologists Richard Hodges and David Whitehouse. These, in common with Pirenne's earlier critics, argued that classical civilization was already dead in Europe by the time of the Arab conquests, and that the Arabs arrived on the scene as civilizers rather than destroyers. Hodges and Whitehouse claimed that the latest findings of archaeology fully supported this view, and their work was highly influential. So influential indeed that over the next three decades Pirenne and his thesis was progressively sidelined, so that recent years have seen the publication of dozens of titles in the English language alone which fail even to mention his name. In Mohammed and Charlemagne Revisited historian Emmet Scott reviews the evidence put forward by Hodges and Whitehouse, as well as the more recent findings of archaeology, and comes to a rather different conclusion. For him, the evidence shows that classical civilization was not dead in Europe at the start of the seventh century, but was actually experiencing something of a revival. Populations and towns were beginning to grow again for the first time since this second century - a development apparently attributable largely to the spread of Christianity. In addition, the real centres of classical civilization, in the Middle East, were experiencing an unprecedented Golden Age at the time, with cities larger and more prosperous than ever before. Excavation has shown that these were destroyed thoroughly and completely by the Arab conquests, with many never again reoccupied. And it was precisely then, says Scott, that Europe's classical culture also disappeared, with the abandonment of the undefended lowland villas and farms of the Roman period and a retreat to fortified hilltop settlements; the first medieval castles. For Scott, archaeology demonstrated that the Arabs did indeed blockade the Mediterranean through piracy and slave-raiding, precisely as Pirenne had claimed, and he argues that the disappearance of papyrus from Europe was an infallible proof of this. Whatever classical learning survived after this time, says Scott, was due almost entirely to the efforts of Christian monks. The Pirenne thesis has taken on a new significance in the post 9/11 world. Scott's take on the theory will certainly ignite further and perhaps heated debate.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: World Encounter Institute/New English Review
Published: 01/15/2012
ISBN: 9780578094182
Pages: 272
Weight: 0.89lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.61d
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SKU: 99434188319

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so elegant but best for softer foods
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I am impressed with this gold silverware. I was surprised because they are very light, but they are also elegant. The handles are a little longer than the usual plasticware, so holding them, using them to eat, made me feel like the meal was elevated. These would be perfect at a garden party, a brunch, a fancy picnic. I love that there are equal numbers of knives, forks, and spoons, and they would look beautiful at place settings, or just tossed into glasses for people to grab what they need. My one misgiving about recommending these for any occasion is the knife. It’s just not sharp, and like the other pieces, it is lightweight. It’s great for spreading butter onto a roll and could cut through soft foods like pasta or cake. But any attempt to cut through a piece of meat or a starchy vegetable that’s just lightly cooked will result in the knife snapping in half. But if you’re serving relatively soft foods (brunch would be perfect!), then this is an elegant, easy solution to feed a lot of people while keeping cleanup to a minimum.
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Rose Patterson
Port Orchard, US
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Fancy enough for a wedding, easy enough for a backyard party
Color: Gold, Color: Gold
I picked up this 300 Pack Premium Heavy Duty Gold Plastic Silverware set for a recent gathering, and honestly it worked out better than I expected. When you’re hosting a larger group, the last thing you want to worry about is running out of utensils or washing a mountain of dishes afterward, and this set definitely helped with that. First off, the 300-piece set is really convenient. You get 100 forks, 100 spoons, and 100 knives, which made it easy to plan for about 100 guests without having to buy multiple packs. Everything arrived neatly organized in a clear storage box, which actually made it super easy to keep things tidy until party time. The gold metallic finish is surprisingly nice. It gave the table a more polished, elegant look than standard plastic cutlery. I used them for a semi-formal dinner setup, and they blended in well with the decorations instead of looking cheap or out of place. As for durability, they’re definitely heavier than typical disposable utensils. The forks handled pasta and salads just fine, and the knives worked well for softer foods like chicken and cake. They’re not quite the same as real metal silverware, of course, but for plastic they’re pretty sturdy and didn’t snap or bend easily. I also appreciated that they’re BPA-free and disposable, which made cleanup incredibly simple once everything wrapped up. The only small downside is that if you’re cutting tougher foods like steak, you might notice the knives aren’t quite strong enough for that. But for most party foods, buffets, and desserts, they work perfectly well. Overall, this is a great option for parties, weddings, or large dinners when you want something that looks nicer than basic plastic but still want the convenience of disposable utensils. I’d definitely use them again for future events.
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