The Emperor, the Sultan and the Scholar: The Portrayal of the Ottomans in the Dialogue with a Persian of Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 41 (2), 42-62. (original) (raw)
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Dialogues and Debates from Late Antiquity to Late Byzantium, Edited by Averil Cameron and Niels Gaul, New York: Routledge, 2017, 2017
Dialogues and Debates from Late Antiquity to Late Byzantium offers the fi rst overall discussion of the literary and philosophical dialogue tradition in Greek from imperial Rome to the end of the Byzantine empire and beyond. Sixteen case studies combine theoretical approaches with in-depth analysis and include comparisons with the neighbouring Syriac, Georgian, Armenian and Latin traditions. Following an introduction and a discussion of Plutarch as a writer of dialogues, other chapters consider the Erostrophus , a philosophical dialogue in Syriac, John Chrysostom's On Priesthood , issues of literariness and complexity in the Greek Adversus Iudaeos dialogues, the Trophies of Damascus , Maximus Confessor's Liber Asceticus and the middle Byzantine apocryphal revelation dialogues. The volume demonstrates a new frequency in middle and late Byzantium of rhetorical, theological and literary dialogues, concomitant with the increasing rhetoricisation of Byzantine literature, and argues for a move towards new and exciting experiments. Individual chapters examine the Platonising and anti-Latin dialogues written in the context of Anselm of Havelberg's visits to Constantinople, the theological dialogue by Soterichos Panteugenos, the dialogues of Niketas 'of Maroneia' and the literary dialogues by Theodore Prodromos, all from the twelfth century. The fi nal chapters explore dialogues from the empire's Georgian periphery and discuss late Byzantine philosophical, satirical and verse dialogues by Nikephoros Gregoras, Manuel II Palaiologos and George Scholarios, with special attention to issues of form, dramatisation and performance.
Byzantine Religious Dialogues with Muslims in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries
(Master's thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham in 2015) In the late and post-Byzantine period, increase of encounters and intensification of communications between Byzantine and Muslim intellectuals gave an impetus to the composition of ‘dialogues with Muslims on religious issues’ by several Byzantine literati. In the present dissertation entitled ‘Byzantine Religious Dialogues with Muslims in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries’, Tomoo Uegaki analysed three of these dialogical works based on real discussions with Muslims in which the authors (Manuel II Palaiologos, George Amiroutzes, Gennadios Scholarios) participated, with special attention to the communicational medium used to discuss religious topics with ‘infidels’ and the ideals about relationship between the Byzantine intellectuals and Muslims represented by the authors via a variety of images of the Byzantine and Muslim interlocutors in the works. As the result of this analysis, it became clear that the authors valued ‘philosophical and rational arguments’ to smooth the communication with those not having Christian faith, and that the final objectives intended by adopting these arguments varied according to the authors, reflecting the change of the sociopolitical environment under which they composed the works: while Manuel used them to reinforce the Byzantine imperial ideology, Amiroutzes and Scholarios employed them to secure their status in the Ottoman regime.
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.
in Cameron Averil, Gaul Niels, Dialogues and Debate from Late Antique to Late Byzantium, London, New York 2017, p. 43-64, 2017
Dialogues and Debates from Late Antiquity to Late Byzantium offers the first overall discussion of the literary and philosophical dialogue tradition in Greek from imperial Rome to the end of the Byzantine empire and beyond. Sixteen case studies combine theoretical approaches with in-depth analysis and include comparisons with the neighbouring Syriac, Georgian, Armenian and Latin traditions. Following an introduction and a discussion of Plutarch as a writer of dialogues, other chapters consider the Erostrophus, a philosophical dialogue in Syriac, John Chrysostom's On Priesthood, issues of literariness and complexity in the Greek Adversus Iudaeos dialogues, the Trophies of Damascus, Maximus Confessor's Liber Asceticus and the middle Byzantine apocryphal revelation dialogues. The volume demonstrates a new frequency in middle and late Byzantium of rhetorical, theological and literary dialogues, concomitant with the increasing rhetoricisation of Byzantine literature, and argues for a move towards new and exciting experiments. Individual chapters examine the Platonising and anti-Latin dialogues written in the context of Anselm of Havelberg's visits to Constantinople, the theological dialogue by Soterichos Panteugenos, the dialogues of Niketas 'of Maroneia' and the literary dialogues by Theodore Prodromos, all from the twelfth century. The final chapters explore dialogues from the empire's Georgian periphery and discuss late Byzantine philosophical, satirical and verse dialogues by Nikephoros Gregoras, Manuel II Palaiologos and George Scholarios, with special attention to issues of form, dramatisation and performance.
The Discourse of Rebellion in Byzantium in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries - Introduction
This study focuses on the discourse of usurpatory rebellions in Byzantium in the eleventh and twelfth centuries through a detailed analysis of three primary sources from the period. Being historical narratives of one of the most turbulent periods in Byzantine history, these sources aimed at creating an apology for the protagonists of their (hi)stories, who were usurper-emperors who seized the imperial throne through violent rebellions. These texts can also be seen as an attempt of reconciliation between the ideology and reality of a society, in which rising up against the emperor was both an anomaly and common occurrence. Although it lacks comprehensiveness with regard to time and material, this study aims at fulfilling the need for an unprecedented reading and analysis of the literary strategies of Byzantine authors in dealing with the controversial concept of rebellion.