• The Politics of Hegemony and the 'Empires' of Anglo-Saxon England

    Author(s):
    Matthew Firth (see profile)
    Date:
    2018
    Group(s):
    Early Medieval, Medieval Studies
    Subject(s):
    Anglo-Saxons--Study and teaching, Hegemony, Middle Ages, England, Political science
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Authority and Legitimacy, Cnut the Great, Empire, Æthelstan, Anglo-Saxon studies, Medieval, Medieval England, Medieval history, Political theory
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/9h80-q204
    Abstract:
    The term 'empire' is frequently applied retrospectively by historians to historical trans-cultural political entities that are notable either for their geographic breadth, unprecedented expansionary ambitions, or extensive political hegemony. Yet the use of the terminology of empire in historical studies is often ill-defined, as exemplified by the territorial hegemonies of Æthelstan (r. 924-939) and Cnut (r. 1016-1035). In their programs of territorial expansion and political consolidation, modern historians have credited both Æthelstan and Cnut as the creators and overlords of trans-cultural European empires. Yet common characteristics that warrant categorisation of the polities they governed as 'empires' are not readily discernible. Not only were the regions each controlled territorially and culturally distinct, but their methods of establishing political dominance and regional governance were equally varied. This raises the question as to whether the term 'empire' can be considered to define a distinct and coherent category of political power when applied to medieval monarchical hegemonies. By analysing the Anglo-Saxon 'empires' of Æthelstan and Cnut within the frameworks of empire set out by modern political theorists, this paper will establish whether the structural commonalities of their domains supersede their inherent diversity, thereby justifying a common categorisation as 'empires'.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Publisher:
    Cerae
    Pub. Date:
    2018
    Journal:
    Cerae
    Volume:
    5
    Page Range:
    27 - 60
    ISSN:
    2204-146X
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    4 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved

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