Captives and Refugees. The Forced Migration of the Inhabitants of the Byzantine Eastern Frontier during the 5 th -7 th Centuries in Light of Byzantine-Slavic Hagiographical Texts (original) (raw)
2021, “Studia Ceranea. Journal of the Wal¬demar Ceran Research Centre for the History and Culture of the Mediterranean Area and South-East Europe”, 11
This article is devoted to the image of a social situation in the eastern parts of the Byzantine Empire during the 5 th-7 th century, which is to be found in the East Christian hagiographical texts. They cannot be treated as a completely reliable source of information, due to exaggerations and simplifications typical for the genre. On the other hand, they testify a long-lasting and vital literary tradition-they were circulating in the Byzantine Commonwealth during the Middle Ages, were translated to several languages (inter alia to the Church Slavic). They formed the basis for stereotypes-specific for the Medieval European imagination-that the eastern frontier of the Empire was rather dangerous territory, its neighbors (Persians, Arabs) were unpredictable pagans and the Christian inhabitants of the region ought to be called their innocent victims.
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Presentation for the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Colloqium "Armenian Scholars in Byzantium and Byzantine Scholarship in Armenian" (3 November 2023), organised by Emilio Bonfiglio: https://www.doaks.org/events/byzantine-studies/colloquium-files/2023-byzantine-colloquium-program.pdf Armenians were among the most important ethno-religious groups both present within and migrating from beyond the borders of the Byzantine Empire before and after the establishment of the Arab Caliphate in the 7th century CE. Their significance especially within the Byzantine elite and the modes and limits of their integration into Byzantine society have been discussed frequently also in very recent scholarship with different interpretations. This paper takes a look at the Byzantine perceptions of the various modes and motivations of mobility of individuals and groups identified as “Armenian” as well as of the networks via which Armenians found their way into the empire. As becomes evident, such descriptions in historiography, but also hagiography or even in legal texts cannot just be read as factual reports, but also reflect certain stereotypes and narrative traditions on the “unsteadiness” of the “Armenians” since antiquity. In the following short draft paper, due to reasons of space and time, I will focus primarily on (secular) legal texts while considering other types of sources in the expanded version of the text for publication.
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Belleten , 2024
The Byzantines and the Ottomans were both rivals and neighbours. They were also in close cultural contact: they observed each other’s customs, clothing and food. Byzantine literary texts from this period, such as histories and dialogues on Christianity and Islam, are invaluable sources in this sphere, offering insight not only into these respective religions but also providing many instances of cultural encounters. This paper presents some vignettes of daily life encounters between the Byzantines and the Ottomans, especially exploring the Byzantines’ perception of the Ottomans’ customs and food. We will analyse selected passages from the history of John VI Kantakouzenos and the dialogues of Gregory Palamas and Manuel II Palaiologos from this perspective. We will discuss the authors’ perception and representation of the Ottomans as the “other” through depictions of food, customs and daily life routines. Furthermore, these accounts will be supplemented with some key travellers’ accounts, such as those of Ruy Gonzalez de Clavjio and Bertrandon de la Broqiuère. The representations of the Ottomans in these travellers’ accounts will be compared with those of the Byzantine authors. At the same time, the insights they offer into the lives of the Byzantines and the Ottomans will also be investigated.
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