Books by Roger Collins
This book offers the first collective discussion, by archaeologists, historians and philologists,... more This book offers the first collective discussion, by archaeologists, historians and philologists, of a corpus of six charters (four of which recently discovered) that all came from or are linked to the archive of the monastery of Asán. The various contributions examine the monastery in its territorial context across the centuries, and its economic underpinning through the exploitation of its estates. Also included are explorations of monastic life in the eastern Pyrenees, which provides some of the earliest evidence for it in the peninsula, and consideration of its connections to early Gallic and Italian monasticism. Asán is also the source of the earliest evidence for the use of particular forms of documentary record or charter in the Iberian Peninsula in the post-Roman period. These texts offer unexpected and important information about the legal and administrative practices of the Visigothic monarchy in the late sixth century and of the monastery’s connections to it. Amongst these are its role in providing a succession of bishops for important dioceses in the provinces of Tarraconensis and Narbonensis, in a period normally seen as being marked by religious conflict between church and state. Amongst other bodies of evidence studied here are later texts relating to Asán, including the hagiographic dossiers of Victorianus, abbot of Asán, and of Gaudiosus, bishop of Tarrazona, with new critical editions of several of them being included in this book.
N&N Journal Volumes by Roger Collins
SUMMA Revista de Cultures Medievals, 2022
Half a century ago, the evidence for monastic life and practices in the Visigothic king- dom cons... more Half a century ago, the evidence for monastic life and practices in the Visigothic king- dom consisted entirely of literary sources of very unequal merit, both in the value of their contents and its interpretation, and in the quality of the editions of them. Over recent decades, the latter has improved, though the lack of a proper critical edition of most of the monastic rules of the period remains a great weakness. After a slightly hesitant start, caused by disagreements over chronology, archaeology has come to play a central role in uncovering and understanding the evidence for Visigothic mo- nasticism. Comparisons with discoveries made in several other geographical contexts, ranging from Egypt to the islands of the Hebrides, can enhance understanding of its scale and importance in the Iberian Peninsula in the post-Roman centuries. While much work remains to be done, it seems from what has now been achieved that His- panic monasticism was far more extensive and more varied in character than would have been believed fifty years ago. Textual editing and study now need to be accelerat- ed, to keep pace with expected further archaeological discoveries, to provide a better understanding of this important aspect of the history of the Visigothic kingdom.
Revista Diálogos Mediterránicos, 2021
Amongst the many achievements of Peter Brown may be included the ways in which he has taught us t... more Amongst the many achievements of Peter Brown may be included the ways in which he has taught us to understand and value the testimony of the Saints Lives and other hagiographic texts of Late Antiquity that often seemed baffling to scholars of earlier generations. On the other hand, sa small number of these hagiographic texts can appear so transparently historical in the nature and details of their content, as not to seem in need of such careful interpretation. In the western Mediterranean the Vitas Sanctorum Patrum Emeretensium is an outstanding example of such a work, that has been used to throw light on a range of topics, from medicine to architecture, beyond the confines of the events in later sixth century Mérida that it describes, and largely without raising any questions as to the reliability of its narrative. However, when this can be compared with that provided by other, more clearly contemporary historiographical sources, its account usually proves to be erroneous or misleading. This article reopens questions long thought closed, or which have been ignored, as to the origins, nature and purpose of the work, so as to enable the strengths and weaknesses of its evidence be better understood.
A story of manuscripts found and now lost, and what they can tell us of the intellectual culture ... more A story of manuscripts found and now lost, and what they can tell us of the intellectual culture of the last decades of the Gothic kingdom in Spain.
Networks and Neighbours, 2015
Roger Collins, Review of Ian Wood, The Modern Origins of the Early Middle Ages, Networks and Neig... more Roger Collins, Review of Ian Wood, The Modern Origins of the Early Middle Ages, Networks and Neighbours 3.1 (2015), 48-50
Book Reviews by Roger Collins
Continuity and Change, 2018
Draft of a review of Robert Portass 'The Village World of Early Medieval Northern Spain'
American Historical Review, 2018
Draft of a review published in The American Historical Review, vol. 123 (October, 2018), pp. 1370... more Draft of a review published in The American Historical Review, vol. 123 (October, 2018), pp. 1370-1371
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Books by Roger Collins
N&N Journal Volumes by Roger Collins
Book Reviews by Roger Collins
As part of the Monastic Landscapes research project, we are organising this international seminar, specially aimed at PhD students who do their research on ecclesiastical matters in the period between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. The seminar will include the participation of internationally renowned researchers, who will present aspects related to their most recent research, always on the topic of the monastic phenomenon in the West between the 4th and 7th centuries. At the end of each session, we will hold a round table that will begin with the presentation of the doctoral thesis projects that are currently being carried out in different universities, at the proposal of the speakers and the organisation itself.