The book focuses on politics in the widest sense and its influence and visibility in translations from the early Middle Ages to the late Renaissance. The book discusses the recent 'cultural turn' in translation studies, which approaches translation as an activity that is powerfully affected by its socio-political context and the demands of the translating culture. The links made between culture, politics and translation in these texts highlight the impact of ideological and political forces on cultural transfer in early European thought. Throughout this volume, translation is treated as a form of writing, as the production of text and meaning, carried out in a certain cultural and political ambiance, and for identifiable -though not always stated- reasons.