Research Abstract |
My total history of Western bourgeoisie at their origins is composed of two parts : economic and social researches published in 1993 and these mental researches, "the Birth of the Rich". The results will be summarized below. The ideas of anti-Riches were not confirmed all over the Christendom, but only among the Roman Catholic. We verify the contrast between the latter and the Eastern Orthodox, through the work of Clement of Alexandria, world-wide activities of Greek and Syrian merchants, scanty diffusion of deadly sins concepts, hagiographies, commerces and industries promoted by the emperors and Catholic fathers'reproachs against Orientals etc. A mental approach as well as a material will be demanded to explain the birth of the rich in the llth century. As for the latter, we witness the shift from the land to the money in the rapid progress of monetary economy, through revival of cities, multiplication of settlements, specialization of work, local princes'monetary policy, accelation of expenses, boom of constructions. To supplment the sparse mention of bourgeoisie in the sources, we pick up by its interchangeable word, "Dives", the families the Rich from the late antiquity and made clear their origins, wealth, relatives and social promotion. We arrive at the conclusion that the birth of the rich was a common phenomenon in Europe of the Classical Middle Ages and finally these parvenus were to attend the canonization of their fellows
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