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Banditry in the Medieval Balkans, 800-1500

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  • © 2020

Overview

Authors:
  1. Panos Sophoulis

    1. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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  • Explores the history of banditry in the medieval Balkans between the ninth and fifteenth centuries
  • Identifies three main sources of banditry: shepherds, soldiers and peasants
  • Examines bandits themselves, their origins, their reasons for taking up brigandage, and the steps taken by the central authorities to control their activity

Part of the book series: New Approaches to Byzantine History and Culture (NABHC)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
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  2. Introduction

    • Panos Sophoulis
    Pages 1-5

  3. A Note on the Sources

    • Panos Sophoulis
    Pages 7-15

  4. In Search of the Balkan Bandit

    • Panos Sophoulis
    Pages 17-38

  5. Land, Roads, Trade and Money: Balkan Banditry in Its Geographical and Economic Context

    • Panos Sophoulis
    Pages 39-55

  6. Shepherds, Military Men and ʻBandit Societiesʼ

    • Panos Sophoulis
    Pages 57-96

  7. Responses to the Problem of Banditry in the Medieval Balkans

    • Panos Sophoulis
    Pages 97-114

  8. Banditry in the Medieval West and in Popular Legend

    • Panos Sophoulis
    Pages 115-130

  9. Conclusion

    • Panos Sophoulis
    Pages 131-141

  10. Back Matter

    Pages 143-188
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Keywords

About this book

This book explores the history of banditry in the medieval Balkans between the ninth and fifteenth centuries. While several scholars have recognized the problems which various outlaw groups caused in the region during the Middle Ages, few have given much attention to the bandits themselves, their origins, their reasons for taking up brigandage, and the steps taken by the central authorities to control their activity. Among other things, this book identifies three main sources of banditry: shepherds, soldiers and peasants. Far from being ʻlone wolvesʼ, these men operated within well-defined social networks. Poverty played a decisive role in driving them to a life of crime, but there is strong evidence to suggest that the growing economic prosperity in parts of the Balkans from the ninth century onwards may have also contributed to the rise of the phenomenon.

Authors and Affiliations

  • National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Panos Sophoulis

About the author

Panos Sophoulis is Αssistant Professor of History at the University of Athens, Greece. His research focuses on the history of southeastern Europe during the Middle Ages. He is author of Byzantium and Bulgaria, 775-831 (winner of the 2013 John Bell Book Prize).

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