Abstract
Between eight and tenth centuries, central powers in Occident and Orient issued legal documents in favor of the “poors”. This paper investigates the reasons why these authorities cared for the “poors”, specially for the “poor’s oppression”. Under a “Global History” view, we approached the subject in a comparative way, underlining the particularities of this phenomenon at same time that we take time to rethink the historiography’s vision about the “poor” in both societies. We came to the conclusion that the employ of the words which references the “poor” in byzantine and carolingian normative texts is not just a statistical testimonial of kingdoms impoverishment or seigniorial abuses. But as a result from authorities interests, the use of words “penetes” and “pauper” in these normative texts represents not only a possible socio-economic transformation but also a shift in the political culture at that period.
Keywords :
Carolingian Empire; Byzantine Empire; Poor; Early Middle Ages; Normative texts