Carlo Emilio Biuzzi | Ghent University (original) (raw)

Conference Presentations by Carlo Emilio Biuzzi

Dans la marge d'un manuscrit contenant un recueil de canons ecclésiastiques miaphysites (CFMM 309... more Dans la marge d'un manuscrit contenant un recueil de canons ecclésiastiques miaphysites (CFMM 309, VIIIème-IXème siècle, de l’Église des Quarante Martyrs en Tur Abdin, Turquie), on peut trouver une quantité remarquable de gloses de différentes natures et en deux langues, en grec et en syriaque. Ce constat, pris en lui-même, ne susciterait pas un grand étonnement, sinon pour la proportion dans laquelle tous ces éléments paratextuels se retrouvent également dans d'autres manuscrits portant le même recueil législatif. Parmi eux se trouvent au moins deux manuscrits précédents et une copie possible du CFMM 309, transmettant cette tradition jusqu'au XXème siècle. La récurrence de cet ensemble paratextuel, ainsi que la mise en évidence de la conscience derrière le projet de ce recueil, témoigne du lien entre le texte grec original et sa traduction en syriaque d'une part, et de la volonté de laisser une trace d'un processus de formalisation culturelle d'autre part : en effet, ce recueil est le résultat de l'interaction entre la première formalisation du droit byzantin et celle du droit syro-occidental miaphysite, probablement réalisée par Jacques d'Édesse ou le milieu intellectuel du monastère de Qenneshrin.

Mon intervention vise d'abord à exposer la typologie des gloses pour expliquer leur nécessité, en tenant compte également de leur importance dans le dialogue entre la langue grecque et la langue syriaque. Ensuite, mon objectif sera de contextualiser cette opération culturelle afin de restituer les orientations de cette dialectique entre l'empire byzantin et l'Église miaphysite, qui, à la fin du VIIème siècle, se trouvait nécessairement à la première étape de consolidation de son identité propre entre deux empires en restructuration, et à la croisée de l'émergence d'une nouvelle réalité politique islamique.

Nel corso di questa lezione introduttiva sul diritto canonico siro-occidentale, si tracceranno le... more Nel corso di questa lezione introduttiva sul diritto canonico siro-occidentale, si tracceranno le diverse fasi di evoluzione del diritto ecclesiastico all'interno delle comunità siro-miafisite con un focus particolare sull'VIII secolo e il rapporto con il diritto bizantino.

Séminaire de recherche (2023-2024) de l'IRHT (CNRS) & l'UMR 8167 - Orient et Méditerranée, organi... more Séminaire de recherche (2023-2024) de l'IRHT (CNRS) & l'UMR 8167 - Orient et Méditerranée, organisé par Martina Ambu (LabEx Hastec - EPHE LEM),
Francesca Barone (UMR 8167, Orient & Méditerranée/CNRS-IRHT),
Catherine Louis (CNRS-IRHT), et Perrine Pilette (UMR 8167 Orient &
Méditerranée, équipe Islam médiéval).

The Chronicle of the Pseudo-Joshua the Stilite (6th century AD), the first monographic historical... more The Chronicle of the Pseudo-Joshua the Stilite (6th century AD), the first monographic historical work in Syriac, ends according to the rules of late antique rhetorical education with a closing paragraph and salutation to the patron of the work. Although initially used by François Nau to date the work, it has later been considered spurious, first by Haase until the latest commentary by Trombley and Watt.

The aim of this paper is to reconsider, from a philological-literary perspective, this final paragraph containing historical information apparently inconsistent with the rest of the work, to reintegrate it into a more coherent process of the work's publication, responding to a unique compositional logic and identifying the intended audience of the work.

This analysis will rely on literary tools, such as comparing the composition of the work with contemporary historiography (thanks also to the fundamental work of Riad 1988), which will allow us to conduct a prosopographic analysis of the patronage - a problem only superficially addressed by previous studies - and the history of the contemporary reception of the work, especially in the Amid monastic contexts.

Through this reconstruction, I aim to demonstrate the type of connection that existed between the cities of Edessa and Amid at the beginning of the 6th century, the role that this work plays within the Miaphysite network, and to problematize the type of cultural production which, starting as a local endeavor, assumes a greater significance within major historiographical formalizations, in this case, the Ecclesiastical History of John of Ephesus, and for material reasons, the anonymous Chronicle of Zuqnin.

The Syriac Chronicle of Ps. Joshua the Stylite is one of the first works of Syriac historiography... more The Syriac Chronicle of Ps. Joshua the Stylite is one of the first works of Syriac historiography (VI century AD), which describes the period between 494 and 506 AD, when the regions of Mesopotamia-Osroene are first affected by famine, then from the plague and finally invaded by the Persian šahr Kawad.

For his characteristic description of the social situation of Edessa and Amida during times of particular social difficulty, is a preferred terrain for carrying out an analysis regarding the relationship between the various city communities in order to be of mutual help, or in the logic of tension. For example, we can easily see how in a Late Antique city people responded to the deaths that caused a plague combined with famine: who were the competent authorities, and how many, and especially by what means, in terms of places, resources and people. At the same time you can see in the moments of sieges, what kind of reaction you have within the city: both for the case of Edessa and Amida, they set in motion dynamics of discrimination, especially towards marginal categories, such as Jews and women, and what kind of charges they were attacked with. These include the very interesting accusation of cannibalism that finds a response both biblical and historical-social.

Through a literary analysis, regarding biblical and historiographic models, as well as archaeological-epigraphic materials, I will try to show the ways in which a city community on the edge of the empire responds to crisis situations; the type of messages that were reassuring, the political-social strategies of the various classes of society and the interaction between the community subdivisions of the city will be highlighted. All the intervention will be based, however, on a rigid socio-historical analysis that can compare the representations of the crisis and the cure to a reconstruction as reliable as possible of the history of the period.

Recent research has highlighted the need for narratives about the Byzantine Empire which are not ... more Recent research has highlighted the need for narratives about the Byzantine Empire which are not exclusively centred on Constantinople, but also take into account regional and local contexts away from the capital and their relationship to it. My paper analyses the only marginally researched case of 6th-century Amida (modern Diyarbakır).

Constantinople hosted an influential Amidan community, which maintained close ties with their native city: in 502 AD, for instance, John, the bishop of Amida, died before the city's siege, and Nonnus was appointed as his replacement. However, Nonnus was supplanted by Thomas, who had the support of the Amidan community in Constantinople. Intellectuals also played an important role: the physician Aetius of Amida likely worked for Theodora and John of Ephesus, a vocal Miaphysite at Justinian’s court, received extensive training near Amida.

My contribution aims at laying the groundwork for further study. By combining sources in Greek and Syriac, I will map the individuals who moved from Amida to Constantinople, as well as the political, social, economic, cultural, and religious factors at play, the ties between the two realities, and what repercussions those had on the social, cultural, and religious landscape of the city.

Sur le Récit de l'histoire (ܡܟܬܒܢܘܬܐ ܕܬܫܥܝܬܐ) de la période de calamité survenue à Édesse, à Amid... more Sur le Récit de l'histoire (ܡܟܬܒܢܘܬܐ ܕܬܫܥܝܬܐ) de la période de calamité survenue à Édesse, à Amid et dans toute la Mésopotamie, dénommé Chronique du ps. Joshua le Stylite, écrit probablement à la fin de l'année 506 apr. J.-C., la critique s'est interrogée depuis la fin du XIXe siècle à propos de l'identification de l'auteur et du genre littéraire. Cependant, il n'existe pas encore une tractation systématique des modèles grecs – en particulier l'apport de Thucydide - desquels l'œuvre s'inspire. L'objectif de cette contribution est de discuter quelques passages tirés de ce texte, afin de montrer les influences qui interviennent dans sa composition, laquelle sera donc finalement reconsidérée dans sa nature littéraire. De plus, je proposerai une relecture archéologique et lexicale du colophon, visant à émettre une nouvelle hypothèse sur le contexte de composition de l'œuvre, et, par conséquent, sur l'auteur. Cette contribution est pensée comme préliminaire ou en tandem avec la contribution de Giovanni Gomiero, qui porte aussi sur un problème d'attribution de genre. En effet, les deux utilisent la même approche méthodologique appliquée à des œuvres historiographiques qui sont, certes, produites à des périodes et à des endroits radicalement différents, mais qui sont cependant liées par une tradition littéraire qu'il convient de lire dans la continuité.

Power through Prophecy: Spartan Kingship and the Delphic Oracle, 2021

Divine prophecies and oracles were an important part of Greek religion and culture for many centu... more Divine prophecies and oracles were an important part of Greek religion and culture for many centuries, but they were also (or especially) a factor in Greek political events. This paper aims to explore the role that the Delphic Oracle played in the legitimacy of Spartan langs during the 5 century BC, starting from Powell's 2009 article and offering some afterthoughts.

In a long time perspective, it appears that one of the two royal families of Sparta, the Agiads, managed to have more power over the Oracle than the other family, the Eurypontids. Many Agiads kings, in fact, tended to use the Oracle to legitimize their rule - as showed by the actions of Cleomenes I, Leonidas I, Pausanias, and his son Pleistonas; whereas the Eurypontids seem to have a weaker hold on the oracle. This preferential relationship between Agiad rule and the Oracle can be exemplified by the case of King Leonidas. At first glance, the Oracles concerning Leonidas seem to just glorify the enterprise of f the Persian wars from a Greck point of view (along the same lines of the oracles linked to Athens). However, an enquiry into documents of different nature can can help us complicate the picture and explore the shadows of King Leonidas figure. By reading Semonides Thermopylae epigrams and Platea elegy, and bringing into the picture some Royal iconography from the Persepolis palace, a different picture of Leonidas's leadership and rule emerge

This intertextual and long-term analysis of documents will help highlight the role of the Oracle in Spartan Kingship and building a picture which is more complicated than what it seemed before, and contributing more broadly to the reflection of the political value of Greek oracles.

Papers by Carlo Emilio Biuzzi

Scienze dell'Antichità, 2021

A study of the epigraphic collection displayed on the walls of the steps leading to the church of... more A study of the epigraphic collection displayed on the walls of the steps leading to the church of S. Agnese fuori le Mura revealed the presence of a number of fragments that were unpublished (an epitaph with pe-datura and the inscription of a slave serving as an actor of Livia), as well as the need to carry out a revised reading of some other texts: a funerary inscription of a Christian senator, the fragments of a long text related to a cepotaphium, an inscription of an augur of a municipium and two fragments of a carmen, which until now had been edited separately.

Book Chapters by Carlo Emilio Biuzzi

Vittorio Berti & Muriel Debié (eds), Le droit en monde syriaque [Études Syriaques 18] (Paris: Geuthner, 2023), p. 415-490. , 2023

This is the first comprehensive and organised list of the Syriac Manuscripts (4th to 20th century... more This is the first comprehensive and organised list of the Syriac Manuscripts (4th to 20th century) concerning Law, Canons and Rules. The list is divided into the two main tradition, West Syrian (wrote by Carlo E. Biuzzi) and East Syrian (wrote by Giovanni Gomiero). The ’Répertoire’ is completed with an index of the more than 400 manuscripts identified and listed by the two authors.

Articles by Carlo Emilio Biuzzi

BABELAO 13 (2024) , 2024

René Draguet, orientaliste renommé du siècle dernier, fut secrétaire général du CSCO (Corpus Scri... more René Draguet, orientaliste renommé du siècle dernier, fut secrétaire général du CSCO (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium) de 1948 à 1980. À la suite de son décès en 1980, ses archives furent en partie léguées à la maison d’édition du CSCO, Peeters, à Louvain (Belgique). Parmi ces archives, quatre boîtes en carton contenant des microfilms de manuscrits furent léguées par la maison d’édition Peeters à l’Institut Orientaliste de l'UCLouvain (Louvain-la-Neuve) à la fin des années 1990. Le fonds Draguet, qui n’était auparavant connu que d'un nombre restreint de chercheurs, fut inventorié de manière systématique entre août et décembre 2023. Il conserve des reproductions de plus de 500 manuscrits (répartis sur environ 1300 microfilms), principalement en grec et en syriaque, mais également en latin, arménien, éthiopien, copte, géorgien et arabe. Cet inventaire préliminaire vise à mettre en lumière la richesse et l'importance de ce fonds qui nécessitera des analyses et des études supplémentaires dans les années à venir. Cet inventaire est suivi d’un Appendice inventoriant les microfilms de manuscrits du Centre d’Études sur Grégoire de Nazianze, également conservés par l’UCLouvain à Louvain-la-Neuve.

Dans la marge d'un manuscrit contenant un recueil de canons ecclésiastiques miaphysites (CFMM 309... more Dans la marge d'un manuscrit contenant un recueil de canons ecclésiastiques miaphysites (CFMM 309, VIIIème-IXème siècle, de l’Église des Quarante Martyrs en Tur Abdin, Turquie), on peut trouver une quantité remarquable de gloses de différentes natures et en deux langues, en grec et en syriaque. Ce constat, pris en lui-même, ne susciterait pas un grand étonnement, sinon pour la proportion dans laquelle tous ces éléments paratextuels se retrouvent également dans d'autres manuscrits portant le même recueil législatif. Parmi eux se trouvent au moins deux manuscrits précédents et une copie possible du CFMM 309, transmettant cette tradition jusqu'au XXème siècle. La récurrence de cet ensemble paratextuel, ainsi que la mise en évidence de la conscience derrière le projet de ce recueil, témoigne du lien entre le texte grec original et sa traduction en syriaque d'une part, et de la volonté de laisser une trace d'un processus de formalisation culturelle d'autre part : en effet, ce recueil est le résultat de l'interaction entre la première formalisation du droit byzantin et celle du droit syro-occidental miaphysite, probablement réalisée par Jacques d'Édesse ou le milieu intellectuel du monastère de Qenneshrin.

Mon intervention vise d'abord à exposer la typologie des gloses pour expliquer leur nécessité, en tenant compte également de leur importance dans le dialogue entre la langue grecque et la langue syriaque. Ensuite, mon objectif sera de contextualiser cette opération culturelle afin de restituer les orientations de cette dialectique entre l'empire byzantin et l'Église miaphysite, qui, à la fin du VIIème siècle, se trouvait nécessairement à la première étape de consolidation de son identité propre entre deux empires en restructuration, et à la croisée de l'émergence d'une nouvelle réalité politique islamique.

Nel corso di questa lezione introduttiva sul diritto canonico siro-occidentale, si tracceranno le... more Nel corso di questa lezione introduttiva sul diritto canonico siro-occidentale, si tracceranno le diverse fasi di evoluzione del diritto ecclesiastico all'interno delle comunità siro-miafisite con un focus particolare sull'VIII secolo e il rapporto con il diritto bizantino.

Séminaire de recherche (2023-2024) de l'IRHT (CNRS) & l'UMR 8167 - Orient et Méditerranée, organi... more Séminaire de recherche (2023-2024) de l'IRHT (CNRS) & l'UMR 8167 - Orient et Méditerranée, organisé par Martina Ambu (LabEx Hastec - EPHE LEM),
Francesca Barone (UMR 8167, Orient & Méditerranée/CNRS-IRHT),
Catherine Louis (CNRS-IRHT), et Perrine Pilette (UMR 8167 Orient &
Méditerranée, équipe Islam médiéval).

The Chronicle of the Pseudo-Joshua the Stilite (6th century AD), the first monographic historical... more The Chronicle of the Pseudo-Joshua the Stilite (6th century AD), the first monographic historical work in Syriac, ends according to the rules of late antique rhetorical education with a closing paragraph and salutation to the patron of the work. Although initially used by François Nau to date the work, it has later been considered spurious, first by Haase until the latest commentary by Trombley and Watt.

The aim of this paper is to reconsider, from a philological-literary perspective, this final paragraph containing historical information apparently inconsistent with the rest of the work, to reintegrate it into a more coherent process of the work's publication, responding to a unique compositional logic and identifying the intended audience of the work.

This analysis will rely on literary tools, such as comparing the composition of the work with contemporary historiography (thanks also to the fundamental work of Riad 1988), which will allow us to conduct a prosopographic analysis of the patronage - a problem only superficially addressed by previous studies - and the history of the contemporary reception of the work, especially in the Amid monastic contexts.

Through this reconstruction, I aim to demonstrate the type of connection that existed between the cities of Edessa and Amid at the beginning of the 6th century, the role that this work plays within the Miaphysite network, and to problematize the type of cultural production which, starting as a local endeavor, assumes a greater significance within major historiographical formalizations, in this case, the Ecclesiastical History of John of Ephesus, and for material reasons, the anonymous Chronicle of Zuqnin.

The Syriac Chronicle of Ps. Joshua the Stylite is one of the first works of Syriac historiography... more The Syriac Chronicle of Ps. Joshua the Stylite is one of the first works of Syriac historiography (VI century AD), which describes the period between 494 and 506 AD, when the regions of Mesopotamia-Osroene are first affected by famine, then from the plague and finally invaded by the Persian šahr Kawad.

For his characteristic description of the social situation of Edessa and Amida during times of particular social difficulty, is a preferred terrain for carrying out an analysis regarding the relationship between the various city communities in order to be of mutual help, or in the logic of tension. For example, we can easily see how in a Late Antique city people responded to the deaths that caused a plague combined with famine: who were the competent authorities, and how many, and especially by what means, in terms of places, resources and people. At the same time you can see in the moments of sieges, what kind of reaction you have within the city: both for the case of Edessa and Amida, they set in motion dynamics of discrimination, especially towards marginal categories, such as Jews and women, and what kind of charges they were attacked with. These include the very interesting accusation of cannibalism that finds a response both biblical and historical-social.

Through a literary analysis, regarding biblical and historiographic models, as well as archaeological-epigraphic materials, I will try to show the ways in which a city community on the edge of the empire responds to crisis situations; the type of messages that were reassuring, the political-social strategies of the various classes of society and the interaction between the community subdivisions of the city will be highlighted. All the intervention will be based, however, on a rigid socio-historical analysis that can compare the representations of the crisis and the cure to a reconstruction as reliable as possible of the history of the period.

Recent research has highlighted the need for narratives about the Byzantine Empire which are not ... more Recent research has highlighted the need for narratives about the Byzantine Empire which are not exclusively centred on Constantinople, but also take into account regional and local contexts away from the capital and their relationship to it. My paper analyses the only marginally researched case of 6th-century Amida (modern Diyarbakır).

Constantinople hosted an influential Amidan community, which maintained close ties with their native city: in 502 AD, for instance, John, the bishop of Amida, died before the city's siege, and Nonnus was appointed as his replacement. However, Nonnus was supplanted by Thomas, who had the support of the Amidan community in Constantinople. Intellectuals also played an important role: the physician Aetius of Amida likely worked for Theodora and John of Ephesus, a vocal Miaphysite at Justinian’s court, received extensive training near Amida.

My contribution aims at laying the groundwork for further study. By combining sources in Greek and Syriac, I will map the individuals who moved from Amida to Constantinople, as well as the political, social, economic, cultural, and religious factors at play, the ties between the two realities, and what repercussions those had on the social, cultural, and religious landscape of the city.

Sur le Récit de l'histoire (ܡܟܬܒܢܘܬܐ ܕܬܫܥܝܬܐ) de la période de calamité survenue à Édesse, à Amid... more Sur le Récit de l'histoire (ܡܟܬܒܢܘܬܐ ܕܬܫܥܝܬܐ) de la période de calamité survenue à Édesse, à Amid et dans toute la Mésopotamie, dénommé Chronique du ps. Joshua le Stylite, écrit probablement à la fin de l'année 506 apr. J.-C., la critique s'est interrogée depuis la fin du XIXe siècle à propos de l'identification de l'auteur et du genre littéraire. Cependant, il n'existe pas encore une tractation systématique des modèles grecs – en particulier l'apport de Thucydide - desquels l'œuvre s'inspire. L'objectif de cette contribution est de discuter quelques passages tirés de ce texte, afin de montrer les influences qui interviennent dans sa composition, laquelle sera donc finalement reconsidérée dans sa nature littéraire. De plus, je proposerai une relecture archéologique et lexicale du colophon, visant à émettre une nouvelle hypothèse sur le contexte de composition de l'œuvre, et, par conséquent, sur l'auteur. Cette contribution est pensée comme préliminaire ou en tandem avec la contribution de Giovanni Gomiero, qui porte aussi sur un problème d'attribution de genre. En effet, les deux utilisent la même approche méthodologique appliquée à des œuvres historiographiques qui sont, certes, produites à des périodes et à des endroits radicalement différents, mais qui sont cependant liées par une tradition littéraire qu'il convient de lire dans la continuité.

Power through Prophecy: Spartan Kingship and the Delphic Oracle, 2021

Divine prophecies and oracles were an important part of Greek religion and culture for many centu... more Divine prophecies and oracles were an important part of Greek religion and culture for many centuries, but they were also (or especially) a factor in Greek political events. This paper aims to explore the role that the Delphic Oracle played in the legitimacy of Spartan langs during the 5 century BC, starting from Powell's 2009 article and offering some afterthoughts.

In a long time perspective, it appears that one of the two royal families of Sparta, the Agiads, managed to have more power over the Oracle than the other family, the Eurypontids. Many Agiads kings, in fact, tended to use the Oracle to legitimize their rule - as showed by the actions of Cleomenes I, Leonidas I, Pausanias, and his son Pleistonas; whereas the Eurypontids seem to have a weaker hold on the oracle. This preferential relationship between Agiad rule and the Oracle can be exemplified by the case of King Leonidas. At first glance, the Oracles concerning Leonidas seem to just glorify the enterprise of f the Persian wars from a Greck point of view (along the same lines of the oracles linked to Athens). However, an enquiry into documents of different nature can can help us complicate the picture and explore the shadows of King Leonidas figure. By reading Semonides Thermopylae epigrams and Platea elegy, and bringing into the picture some Royal iconography from the Persepolis palace, a different picture of Leonidas's leadership and rule emerge

This intertextual and long-term analysis of documents will help highlight the role of the Oracle in Spartan Kingship and building a picture which is more complicated than what it seemed before, and contributing more broadly to the reflection of the political value of Greek oracles.

Scienze dell'Antichità, 2021

A study of the epigraphic collection displayed on the walls of the steps leading to the church of... more A study of the epigraphic collection displayed on the walls of the steps leading to the church of S. Agnese fuori le Mura revealed the presence of a number of fragments that were unpublished (an epitaph with pe-datura and the inscription of a slave serving as an actor of Livia), as well as the need to carry out a revised reading of some other texts: a funerary inscription of a Christian senator, the fragments of a long text related to a cepotaphium, an inscription of an augur of a municipium and two fragments of a carmen, which until now had been edited separately.

Vittorio Berti & Muriel Debié (eds), Le droit en monde syriaque [Études Syriaques 18] (Paris: Geuthner, 2023), p. 415-490. , 2023

This is the first comprehensive and organised list of the Syriac Manuscripts (4th to 20th century... more This is the first comprehensive and organised list of the Syriac Manuscripts (4th to 20th century) concerning Law, Canons and Rules. The list is divided into the two main tradition, West Syrian (wrote by Carlo E. Biuzzi) and East Syrian (wrote by Giovanni Gomiero). The ’Répertoire’ is completed with an index of the more than 400 manuscripts identified and listed by the two authors.

BABELAO 13 (2024) , 2024

René Draguet, orientaliste renommé du siècle dernier, fut secrétaire général du CSCO (Corpus Scri... more René Draguet, orientaliste renommé du siècle dernier, fut secrétaire général du CSCO (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium) de 1948 à 1980. À la suite de son décès en 1980, ses archives furent en partie léguées à la maison d’édition du CSCO, Peeters, à Louvain (Belgique). Parmi ces archives, quatre boîtes en carton contenant des microfilms de manuscrits furent léguées par la maison d’édition Peeters à l’Institut Orientaliste de l'UCLouvain (Louvain-la-Neuve) à la fin des années 1990. Le fonds Draguet, qui n’était auparavant connu que d'un nombre restreint de chercheurs, fut inventorié de manière systématique entre août et décembre 2023. Il conserve des reproductions de plus de 500 manuscrits (répartis sur environ 1300 microfilms), principalement en grec et en syriaque, mais également en latin, arménien, éthiopien, copte, géorgien et arabe. Cet inventaire préliminaire vise à mettre en lumière la richesse et l'importance de ce fonds qui nécessitera des analyses et des études supplémentaires dans les années à venir. Cet inventaire est suivi d’un Appendice inventoriant les microfilms de manuscrits du Centre d’Études sur Grégoire de Nazianze, également conservés par l’UCLouvain à Louvain-la-Neuve.