This volume brings together eleven of the author's fundamental essays on the social history of the late Roman and early medieval periods in Italy and, more generally, in Europe. In three parts, the first, The Roman Empire and after, focuses on the state and the economy of late Antiquity, and on what happened to them in the political crisis of the western empire in the fifth century. Part two, Theorizing early medieval Europe, concentrates on the economy of the early medieval West, as seen through comparative surveys of pastoralism, the use of woodland, and the relationships between peasants and lords. The last part, Italian society from the Carolingians to the communes, contains analyses of medieval Italy that are of comparative interest.