Research Marches On

In the typical way of things, I went downtown to the main branch of the SF Public Library and found the two-volume Medieval Italy: An Encyclopedia, which was a treasure trove of information, but didn't contain the one thing I was looking for. Still, I now know the name of the currency used in Salerno at approximately the time of the book (the tari, a gold coin) and some useful data about the politics of the area. Particularly timing: the shifts from Roman to Lombard to Norman (with side journeys into Byzantine) control of Souther Italy are dizzying.

If someone would pay me to do it, I could just cruise through life reading stuff about other places and times, and then come home and make dinner. Oh, wait...if I finish this book, someone will pay me. Hah!