This book intertwines two themes in medieval studies hitherto kept apart: comparisons of Latin and Orthodox Europe and the "feudal revolution" of the late- and post-Carolingian periods. The book broadens the debate by comparing texts written in "learned" and "vulgar" Latin, Church Slavonic, Anglo-Norman, and East Slavonic. From this comparison, the Kingdom of the Rus appears as a regional variation of European society. This suggests current interpretations overemphasize factors unique to the medieval West and overlook deeper pan-European processes.

-- Talia Zajac University of Manchester The Medieval Review

<div>Introduction</div><div>1. Rus and Latin Europe: Words, Concepts, and Phenomena</div><div>2. Medieval Texts and Professional Belief Systems: Latin, Church Slavonic, and Vernacular Political Narratives</div><div>3. Elite Domination in Rus' and Latin Europe: Princely Power and Banal Lordship</div><div>4. Interprincely Agreement and a Question of Feudo-Vassalic Relations </div><div>5. Conclusions</div><div>Bibliography</div>