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Banditry in the Medieval Balkans, 800-1500

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  • 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
  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. Conclusion

    • Panos Sophoulis
    Pages 131-141
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 143-188

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).

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access