The transition from classical antiquity to feudalism has been less often studied within historical materialism than the transition from feudalism to capitalism. This essay considers some of the problems posed by the change from the ancient to the mediaeal world, for European development. It starts with a discussion of the general nature of the slave mode of production in the classical epoch, and then compares the respective social and political structures of Greek, Hellenistic and Roman societies. The reasons for the eventual fall of the Roman imperial system, which brought Antiquity to an end, are surveyed in the light of the regional divisions within the Empire, and the evolution of the Germanic tribes on its borders.

A review of the Dark Ages leads to a summary outline of the emergence of feudalism in Western Europe, as a new mode of production. The variations of feudal formation in the different lands of the mediaeval West from England to Italy and Germany to Spain, are contrasted … together with the special evolution of Scandi-navia. The causes of both the notable growth, and ultimate crisis, of the Western feudal economy are appraised. Finally, the distinct pattern of development of Eastern Europe in the mediaeval epoch is traced, including some assessment of the significance of the Asian nomadic invasions for this half of the continent. The Balkans are treated as a separate subregion of the East, defined by the survival of Byzantium. The work closes with reflections on the nature and fate of the Byzantine Empire, whose final disappearance conventionally marks a threshold of the early modern epoch in Europe.

Perry Anderson is the author of Lineages of the Absolutist State, Considerations on Western Marxism, Arguments in English Marxism, In the Tracks of Historical Materialism, A Zone of Engagement and The Origins of Postmodernity; he teaches history at UCLA, and serves on the editorial board of New Left Review.

304 pages

Paper
ISBN-13: 978 0 85984 107 5
US$19