Economic Thought and Economic Life in Byzantium

by Angeliki E. Laiou

Angeliki Laiou (1941-2008), one of the leading Byzantinists of her generation, broke new ground in the study of the social and economic history of the Byzantine Empire. Economic Thought and Economic Life in Byzantium, the last of three volumes to be published posthumously in the Variorum Collected Studies Series, brings together twelve articles that reflect her perennial concern with the relationship of theory and practice in historical contexts. Two of these are translated from Greek and German, respectively, and another is here published for the first time. The six articles in the first part explore several lively and wide-ranging debates over economic concepts and practices in late medieval Byzantium, touching on such concerns as usury, regalian rights, and the proper functioning of the market. The articles in the second part examine the nature and role of cities, villages, and the countryside in Byzantium, together with the rich and varied experiences of their inhabitants.

348 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2013

About the author

Angeliki Laiou was a Greek Byzantinist.

Reviews

[Mete Oguz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of articles by Laiou, compiled after her death and presented as a book.

The most interesting ones in my opinion were the two articles named:

'The Peasant as Donor' & 'The Village'

Two of her later articles published towards the late 2000s. Especially 'The Village' is a nice historiographical survey of village studies / peasant studies in the Byzantine context and what areas are open for further research and what areas have been insufficiently analysed etc. She gives some highly valuable information.