Abstract
The Early Middle Ages was marked by successive food crises. According to a survey made by the German historian Fritz Curschmann (in the histories, annals, chronicles, hagiographies, etc.), there are 68 references to food crises between the years 700 and 1100. However, these texts say much more about the reactions to hunger than on their circumstances or causes. The aim of this article is to analyze the actions of public officials in the face of food crises in Gaul and Italy between the end of the fifth century and the late sixth century. For this purpose, we use some letters of Cassiodorus († c. 585) and Sidonius Apollinaris († 486), the Histories by Gregory of Tours († 594) and a poem by Venantius Fortunatus († c.609). The analysis of these texts allows us to put into question the idea of public authority crisis with the advent of barbarian kingdoms.
Keywords:
famine; Gaul; Italy; Early Middle Ages