ORIGINS OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMY

Michael McCormick
Origins of the European Economy: a decline and rise
Michael McCormicks Origins of the European Economy: Communications and Commerce AD300-
900 is like reading a rolling, scholarly detective story. McCormick marshals a wide range of
evidence to give a picture of the decline and then the upward turn of trade in the period. I was
particularly taken by the systematic examination of references to travellers in texts of the period.
Though the use of icecore data to provide evidence on levels of !mostly declining" metal
production was notable as well.
#hat the book doesnt do is provide a full picture of the $uropean economy in the period. The
study is very specifically about trade and communications.
It is clear that trade !and population" began to decline under the %oman empire from the third
century onwards, well before the ma&or barbarian incursions. The decline started in the western
provinces, particularly the 'tlantic littoral. !'t first, the eastern economy improved, but then
decline hit it as well." The decline continued until about ()*'+. ' revival then sets in, but one
flowing from western merchants. Indeed, the ,orth -ea arc seems to show increasing trade from
about .)*'+. /ut the Carolingian revival is a revival from a low base. Trade never entirely
disappeared, but was at a notably low level. !0n the shipwreckcount evidence assembled by
1opkins, trade in the #estern Mediterranean in the period 2**.)*'+ was about 3*4 of the level
it was in the 3**/C3**'+ period."
There seems to be effectively a fourway interaction5 the pagan6Christian ,orth -ea arc, continental
7atin Christendom, the $astern %omans and 'rab Islamic empire. Islam was, on balance, a stimulus
to trade rather than, as 8irenne hypothesised, a barrier to it. The study brings out 9uite clearly the
importance of the $uropean slave trade : slaves were probably $uropes main export5 the Church
regularly denounced the sale of Christians to infidels and the redemption of such Christians was a
standard noble act. 7ow population meant that labour was in demand5 labourasproperty that is.
The decline in trade and population is much more noted than explained. McCormick clearly regards
the analysis as a work in progress. /ut it is striking the way it is very much post%oman factors that
lead the revival. The ,orthern 'rc, ;enice !which did not exist in the %oman era", Islam.
Continental $urope revives when the 'rnulfings !or, as the historians call them in honour of the
greatest scion, the Carolingians" supplant the last of the %omansuccessor Merovingian monarchs.
The $astern %omans sat athwart trade routes, and benefited from the upsurge, but conspicuously
failed to participate outside their own boundaries. !Indeed, they were later to become dependant on
Italian merchant cities for their seaborne trade." McCormick certainly implies the %oman state itself
may have been a significant factor in the economic decline, but does not assemble evidence to
enable him to assert that confidently.
Origins of the European Economy is an engaging and informative study.