Tradition and Transformation in Medieval Byzantium

Variorum
Paul Magdalino
ISBN: 0860782956
price: $122.95   hardcover

The period from the 11th to the 14th century is now recognized as one when the Greek empire of Constantinople, while losing much of its ancient status and character, reached maturity as a medieval society. The studies in this volume explore both the basic structures and the outward manifestations of Byzantine identity at that time, showing how the élite subtly revised its political, religious and cultural outlook. A recurrent theme is the role of the Comnenian dynasty in shaping and provoking change.
Of the articles here, some deal with the structure and values of Byzantine aristocratic family, others with specific aspects of the exercise of power by the Comnenian emperors, notably Manuel I (1143-1180). A third group considers the ways in which contemporary writers commented on their environment. The interaction between the Comnenian nobility and provincial society is examined in one study of Northern Greece in the Later Middle Ages, while a concluding paper re-opens the controversial question of the medieval origins of Greek nationalism.
Contents: Preface; Byzantine Snobbery; The Byzantine Aristocratic Oikos; Honor among Romaioi: the framework of social values in the world of Digenes Akrites and Kekaumenos; The phenomenon of Manuel I Komnenos; Manuel Komnenos and the Great Palace; The Emperor in Byzantine Art of the 12th century; The Byzantine Holy Man in the 12th century; Aspects of 12th century Byzantine; Die jurisprudenz als Komponente der byzantinischen Gelehrtenkultur des 12 Jahrhunderts; The literary perception of everyday life in Byzantium. Some general considerations and the case of John Apokaukos; The not-so-secret functions of the mystikos; Isaac sebastokrator (III), John Axouch, and a case of mistaken identity; Between Romaniae: Thessaly and Epirus in the Later Middle Ages; Hellenism and Nationalism in Byzantium.