Debunking 19th century nationalist ideologies by historical proof
Review of The Myth of Nations: The Medieval Origins of Europe by Patrick Geary
This is a very fun essay, designed to make us examine the mythology behind the nationalism that arose at the end of the 19th century, as supported by myths of ancient heroism or lineage. It is supposed to be for the general reader, not the specialist, but I think it is rather rarified in terms of the details he gets into. To prove his point, he gets very deep into the way that Romans viewed barbarian incursions, how different peoples got absorbed into the remnants of the Empire, and then what came after in the Dark Ages. Now, this happens to fascinate me, i.e. who the barbarians actually were, how they came to be a people, etc. I have read many books about it, such as the masterful Empires and Barbarians, by Peter Heather.
He begins with an examination of the origins of nationalism, in the 19th century. Beyond the mobilization of resources under a single central power (the modern state) that railways and an industrial economy made possible, nationalism needed a founding ideology, some myth upon which to build the legitimacy of new modes of power. This was found in a national narrative, supported by deep scholarly endeavor (as supported by the state) and disseminated in the standardized curricula as established in basic education.
The basis of this was found in claims of continuous legitimacy, as based in law, ancient tradition, ethnolinguistic heritage, and conquest. The rest of the book is a painstaking examination of this notion from 200 to 1000 CE, to debunk the continuity part of it.
In a word, he argues that ethnicity is a myth, that groups of people aggregated around charismatic leaders as they built empires or opposed oppressors. People joined, learned the languages of the powerful, and adopted identities. To imagine that these ethnic groups were longstanding with illustriously heroic histories is, he says, romantic nonsense for the most part. From my own research, I am certain that the author is absolutely correct: today’s nations are based far less on genetic similarities than they are eclectic social constructions. The myths encompass the “Jewish Exodus” as well as the arc of Roman history, from the republic and the Empire’s fall to barbarian invasions. They are compelling narratives that shape how we saw things for centuries.
The devil is in the details. This is where the book becomes rather recondite. From personal interest, I have read a lot about the fall of Rome and the early middle ages and am curious about the Avars, Lombards, and Franks. This book offers a wonderful inquiry into all of this, over more than 100 pages. It was a delight to me, but I wonder if other readers would find it as interesting as an antique history nerd like myself. I offer this as a warning to the general reader – it really is the stuff of academics and aficionados.
Finally, the book ends rather abruptly, without a wrapup argument and without pushing the argument to the end. Geary wants to help Europeans manage their differences by pointing out that ethnic origins are myths, that we should be more rational and acknowledge we are all mutts. For my part, I thought about the dilemmas in the middle east regarding disputed lands and all their arguments of historical legitimacy.
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