J. H. W. G. LIEBESCHUETZ
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264027
- eISBN:
- 9780191734908
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264027.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This chapter describes developments in the territory north of the Haemus mountains — included in the late Roman provinces of Moesia Superior, Dacia Ripensis, Moesia Inferior and Scythia Minor — from ...
More
This chapter describes developments in the territory north of the Haemus mountains — included in the late Roman provinces of Moesia Superior, Dacia Ripensis, Moesia Inferior and Scythia Minor — from the late fourth to the early seventh century. It examines the impact of the Gothic war of 376–382 and the successive destructive invasions by Goths, Huns, Avars, Sclavenes and Slavs of 441 and 447 on these provinces. It also looks at attempts to restore the defences and settlements of the region from the late fifth century onwards, particularly in the reign of emperor Justinian (527–565). Periods of invasion were followed by phases of peace and reconstruction, but recovery never came even close to restoring the territory to its condition before these invasions. By the end of the first quarter of the seventh century, the Roman organization of the area had been wiped out.Less
This chapter describes developments in the territory north of the Haemus mountains — included in the late Roman provinces of Moesia Superior, Dacia Ripensis, Moesia Inferior and Scythia Minor — from the late fourth to the early seventh century. It examines the impact of the Gothic war of 376–382 and the successive destructive invasions by Goths, Huns, Avars, Sclavenes and Slavs of 441 and 447 on these provinces. It also looks at attempts to restore the defences and settlements of the region from the late fifth century onwards, particularly in the reign of emperor Justinian (527–565). Periods of invasion were followed by phases of peace and reconstruction, but recovery never came even close to restoring the territory to its condition before these invasions. By the end of the first quarter of the seventh century, the Roman organization of the area had been wiped out.
J. M. Hussey
- Published in print:
- 1990
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198264569
- eISBN:
- 9780191601170
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198264569.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Written both for the non‐specialist and for the specialist seeking a survey of the subject and wishing to know something of a Church that was one of the main vitalizing forces in the East Roman ...
More
Written both for the non‐specialist and for the specialist seeking a survey of the subject and wishing to know something of a Church that was one of the main vitalizing forces in the East Roman Empire. It attempts: to trace the mediaeval history of the Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire (c.600–1453)—a formative period for the Church—in terms of challenge and response; to outline the organization of the Byzantine Church, indicating its essential role in the imperial polity and in Christendom; and finally to suggest the way in which its members tried to achieve what was, and still is, the heart of Orthodoxy, i.e. the gradual theosis or deification of each individual Christian. The short introduction to the book is preceded by a list of rulers (Byzantine Emperors), popes, and patriarchs of Constantinople. Part I is the main part of the book, and discusses the landmarks in ecclesiastical affairs within the Empire as well as the creative influence exercised on the Slavs and the increasing contacts with westerners, particularly after 1204. It is arranged in eight chapters that address successive periods of development of the Church. Part II gives a brief account of the structure of the mediaeval Orthodox Church, its officials and organization, its monasticism, the development of the eucharist and the liturgical year, and the spirituality of laity, monks, and clergy.Less
Written both for the non‐specialist and for the specialist seeking a survey of the subject and wishing to know something of a Church that was one of the main vitalizing forces in the East Roman Empire. It attempts: to trace the mediaeval history of the Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire (c.600–1453)—a formative period for the Church—in terms of challenge and response; to outline the organization of the Byzantine Church, indicating its essential role in the imperial polity and in Christendom; and finally to suggest the way in which its members tried to achieve what was, and still is, the heart of Orthodoxy, i.e. the gradual theosis or deification of each individual Christian. The short introduction to the book is preceded by a list of rulers (Byzantine Emperors), popes, and patriarchs of Constantinople. Part I is the main part of the book, and discusses the landmarks in ecclesiastical affairs within the Empire as well as the creative influence exercised on the Slavs and the increasing contacts with westerners, particularly after 1204. It is arranged in eight chapters that address successive periods of development of the Church. Part II gives a brief account of the structure of the mediaeval Orthodox Church, its officials and organization, its monasticism, the development of the eucharist and the liturgical year, and the spirituality of laity, monks, and clergy.
Judith Herrin
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153018
- eISBN:
- 9781400845224
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153018.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History
This chapter focuses on the period when Greece was essentially a minor province of the Christian Roman empire of Byzantium. During “The Dark Ages,” there was a very slow and uncertain shift from a ...
More
This chapter focuses on the period when Greece was essentially a minor province of the Christian Roman empire of Byzantium. During “The Dark Ages,” there was a very slow and uncertain shift from a society organized according to the principles of the ancient world—a world of half-autonomous cities—to one dominated by the Byzantine Empire. The chapter first describes the upheavals that disrupted the empire during the first half of the seventh century before discussing how it regained stability during the late seventh and eighth centuries. It then considers the disastrous results of the Fourth Crusade for the empire and the emergence of Byzantium as a theocracy. It also examines how Byzantium reclaimed the provinces of Greece and how the Slavs were integrated into Byzantine society. It concludes with an overview of Byzantine economy, society, and culture during the period as well as the legacy of the Byzantine Empire.Less
This chapter focuses on the period when Greece was essentially a minor province of the Christian Roman empire of Byzantium. During “The Dark Ages,” there was a very slow and uncertain shift from a society organized according to the principles of the ancient world—a world of half-autonomous cities—to one dominated by the Byzantine Empire. The chapter first describes the upheavals that disrupted the empire during the first half of the seventh century before discussing how it regained stability during the late seventh and eighth centuries. It then considers the disastrous results of the Fourth Crusade for the empire and the emergence of Byzantium as a theocracy. It also examines how Byzantium reclaimed the provinces of Greece and how the Slavs were integrated into Byzantine society. It concludes with an overview of Byzantine economy, society, and culture during the period as well as the legacy of the Byzantine Empire.
Judith Herrin
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153018
- eISBN:
- 9781400845224
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153018.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History
This chapter examines the inherent forces that remained to sustain medieval Hellenism in the early Middle Ages. It discusses two aspects to the hellenization process that was at work in parts of the ...
More
This chapter examines the inherent forces that remained to sustain medieval Hellenism in the early Middle Ages. It discusses two aspects to the hellenization process that was at work in parts of the Balkan peninsula during the “Dark Ages” of Byzantine history, each helping to preserve distinct parts of the Hellenistic tradition: the continued use of spoken Greek, and the preservation of Byzantine political, cultural, and religious practices. In both cases, the agents of this process were the indigenous population of Greece, who sought refuge from the Slavs on Aegean islands, in mountain fortresses, and along the littoral. The chapter shows that despite the “grande brèche” in continuous imperial rule, the inhabitants of Greece were able to reassert their identity as citizens of the empire of Constantinople.Less
This chapter examines the inherent forces that remained to sustain medieval Hellenism in the early Middle Ages. It discusses two aspects to the hellenization process that was at work in parts of the Balkan peninsula during the “Dark Ages” of Byzantine history, each helping to preserve distinct parts of the Hellenistic tradition: the continued use of spoken Greek, and the preservation of Byzantine political, cultural, and religious practices. In both cases, the agents of this process were the indigenous population of Greece, who sought refuge from the Slavs on Aegean islands, in mountain fortresses, and along the littoral. The chapter shows that despite the “grande brèche” in continuous imperial rule, the inhabitants of Greece were able to reassert their identity as citizens of the empire of Constantinople.
Friedrich Lotter
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203612
- eISBN:
- 9780191675898
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203612.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
The process by which the Baltic Slavs and Elbe Slavs, the so-called Wends, were incorporated into the German nation was very complicated. In the middle decades of the 10th century, King Otto I, the ...
More
The process by which the Baltic Slavs and Elbe Slavs, the so-called Wends, were incorporated into the German nation was very complicated. In the middle decades of the 10th century, King Otto I, the future emperor, subdued all the Slav tribes in the area between the Elbe-Saale in the west, the Erzgebirge in the south, and the Oder-Bober line in the east. In this region there existed three large tribal units, which were more or less coherent: the Abodrites, the Wilzes, and the Sorbs. In order to further the integration of the western Slavs, Otto started a policy of Christianisation, which he supported by creating an ecclesiastical organisation. Thus he founded two bishoprics, Brandenburg and Havelberg, for the Wilzes; Oldenburg in Wagria, for the Abodrites and three, Merseburg, Zeitz (later Naumburg), and Meissen, for the Sorbs.Less
The process by which the Baltic Slavs and Elbe Slavs, the so-called Wends, were incorporated into the German nation was very complicated. In the middle decades of the 10th century, King Otto I, the future emperor, subdued all the Slav tribes in the area between the Elbe-Saale in the west, the Erzgebirge in the south, and the Oder-Bober line in the east. In this region there existed three large tribal units, which were more or less coherent: the Abodrites, the Wilzes, and the Sorbs. In order to further the integration of the western Slavs, Otto started a policy of Christianisation, which he supported by creating an ecclesiastical organisation. Thus he founded two bishoprics, Brandenburg and Havelberg, for the Wilzes; Oldenburg in Wagria, for the Abodrites and three, Merseburg, Zeitz (later Naumburg), and Meissen, for the Sorbs.
Dimitris Livanios
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199237685
- eISBN:
- 9780191717246
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199237685.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter focuses on the turbulent Bulgar-Yugoslav relations in the second half of 1944 and Tito's attempt to construct a Balkan federation, with Macedonia as a federal unit. Given that the ...
More
This chapter focuses on the turbulent Bulgar-Yugoslav relations in the second half of 1944 and Tito's attempt to construct a Balkan federation, with Macedonia as a federal unit. Given that the protection of Greece was the only major British strategic interest in the area, these developments alarmed Britain profoundly. It was feared that a South-Slav federation under Russia's tutelage would threaten the territorial integrity of the country by absorbing Greek Macedonia too, thus placing her into Russian orbit. The chapter analyses the Bulgar-Yugoslav negotiations for federation, highlights their major differences concerning its shape and the position of Macedonia in it, and details the British diplomatic intervention, which succeeded in preventing it from materializing.Less
This chapter focuses on the turbulent Bulgar-Yugoslav relations in the second half of 1944 and Tito's attempt to construct a Balkan federation, with Macedonia as a federal unit. Given that the protection of Greece was the only major British strategic interest in the area, these developments alarmed Britain profoundly. It was feared that a South-Slav federation under Russia's tutelage would threaten the territorial integrity of the country by absorbing Greek Macedonia too, thus placing her into Russian orbit. The chapter analyses the Bulgar-Yugoslav negotiations for federation, highlights their major differences concerning its shape and the position of Macedonia in it, and details the British diplomatic intervention, which succeeded in preventing it from materializing.
John Landers
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199279579
- eISBN:
- 9780191719448
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199279579.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, Social History, Economic History
Organic economies with their restrictions on production, transportation, and the deployment of military force necessarily constrained the relationship between power and space, but the outcome of this ...
More
Organic economies with their restrictions on production, transportation, and the deployment of military force necessarily constrained the relationship between power and space, but the outcome of this constraint was historically viable. The history and geography of political power is very largely the history and geography of states, thus, it is necessary to consider the state as a spatial phenomenon. The states of early modern Europe were mostly bordered by structural homologues: other states similarly organised and comparably armed. Most of the peoples with whom western rulers had to deal can be categorised as the ‘northern barbarians’ of antiquity, the early medieval Slavs and cognate peoples in eastern Europe and the Balkans, and the nomadic peoples who intruded periodically from the steppe and the desert fringes. Tributary dependence was often enforced by raiding strategies, but the expansion of control usually required occupation.Less
Organic economies with their restrictions on production, transportation, and the deployment of military force necessarily constrained the relationship between power and space, but the outcome of this constraint was historically viable. The history and geography of political power is very largely the history and geography of states, thus, it is necessary to consider the state as a spatial phenomenon. The states of early modern Europe were mostly bordered by structural homologues: other states similarly organised and comparably armed. Most of the peoples with whom western rulers had to deal can be categorised as the ‘northern barbarians’ of antiquity, the early medieval Slavs and cognate peoples in eastern Europe and the Balkans, and the nomadic peoples who intruded periodically from the steppe and the desert fringes. Tributary dependence was often enforced by raiding strategies, but the expansion of control usually required occupation.
Inna Naroditskaya
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195340587
- eISBN:
- 9780199918218
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195340587.003.0100
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
The phantasmagorical opera-ballet Mlada (1892) features a khorovod (circle-dance) of feminine royals: Mlada, the silent dancing shadow of a deceased princess-bride and her rival Voislava, a pagan ...
More
The phantasmagorical opera-ballet Mlada (1892) features a khorovod (circle-dance) of feminine royals: Mlada, the silent dancing shadow of a deceased princess-bride and her rival Voislava, a pagan princess; Morena, a powerful water sorceress and spirit of death, and the goddess Lada. The circle, completed by Cleopatra, eclipses the central male character Yaromir. Confused disoriented, lost between past and present, constantly retreating to his dreams, Yaromir likely experiences amnesia and confabulation—known as “Korsakov’s syndrome,” named after the composer’s contemporary and namesake Sergei Korsakov. Beyond the mélange of ritualistic, gnostic, erotic, scary, and psychotic plot elements, Mlada conveys the already well-known tale of a deceased bride stuck in a space between life and death, claiming her beloved. As Mlada acquires her dazed Yaromir, Morena (possibly once a rusalka herself) floods the Slavic folk. In the midst of this pagan Slavic tale rises Cleopatra with her entourage of seductive Egyptian slave dancers and an orchestra of specially made instruments, tsevnitsas. Both Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky elsewhere refer to this instrument in choral polonaises welcoming the entrance of an empress, who in Gogol’s tale, a source of both operatic plots, is identified as Catherine II.Less
The phantasmagorical opera-ballet Mlada (1892) features a khorovod (circle-dance) of feminine royals: Mlada, the silent dancing shadow of a deceased princess-bride and her rival Voislava, a pagan princess; Morena, a powerful water sorceress and spirit of death, and the goddess Lada. The circle, completed by Cleopatra, eclipses the central male character Yaromir. Confused disoriented, lost between past and present, constantly retreating to his dreams, Yaromir likely experiences amnesia and confabulation—known as “Korsakov’s syndrome,” named after the composer’s contemporary and namesake Sergei Korsakov. Beyond the mélange of ritualistic, gnostic, erotic, scary, and psychotic plot elements, Mlada conveys the already well-known tale of a deceased bride stuck in a space between life and death, claiming her beloved. As Mlada acquires her dazed Yaromir, Morena (possibly once a rusalka herself) floods the Slavic folk. In the midst of this pagan Slavic tale rises Cleopatra with her entourage of seductive Egyptian slave dancers and an orchestra of specially made instruments, tsevnitsas. Both Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky elsewhere refer to this instrument in choral polonaises welcoming the entrance of an empress, who in Gogol’s tale, a source of both operatic plots, is identified as Catherine II.
Florin Curta
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748638093
- eISBN:
- 9780748670741
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748638093.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The book is an attempt to synthesize the results of several studies in archaeology, numismatics, history, and sigillography that have recently advanced our knowledge of early medieval Greece. Instead ...
More
The book is an attempt to synthesize the results of several studies in archaeology, numismatics, history, and sigillography that have recently advanced our knowledge of early medieval Greece. Instead of a polar opposition between the Byzantine Empire and “barbarians” (Slavs or Bulgars), the history of early medieval Greece must be understood within a larger Balkan context shaped fundamentally by complex economic and social phenomena. An older tradition has seen the changes taking place in Greece between ca. 500 and ca. 1050 as the result of exclusively political factors, mainly related to the revival of Byzantine military power under the Macedonian dynasty and the desire to convert the Slavs to Christianity. Nevertheless, recent studies in the economic history of early medieval Europe suggest a different view. Moreover, archaeologists interested in long-term changes have long recognized that the explosion of settlement assemblages is not unique to Greece and that similar developments are archaeologically documented for other areas of the Balkans that were not under Byzantine rule at that time. More economically minded accounts of the so-called Middle Byzantine period have revealed the complex relation between trade and agriculture in the economic take-off of the Macedonian period. The book offers for the first time a synthetic view of the economic and social processes at work in early medieval Greece, but pays attention also to political and religious phenomena.Less
The book is an attempt to synthesize the results of several studies in archaeology, numismatics, history, and sigillography that have recently advanced our knowledge of early medieval Greece. Instead of a polar opposition between the Byzantine Empire and “barbarians” (Slavs or Bulgars), the history of early medieval Greece must be understood within a larger Balkan context shaped fundamentally by complex economic and social phenomena. An older tradition has seen the changes taking place in Greece between ca. 500 and ca. 1050 as the result of exclusively political factors, mainly related to the revival of Byzantine military power under the Macedonian dynasty and the desire to convert the Slavs to Christianity. Nevertheless, recent studies in the economic history of early medieval Europe suggest a different view. Moreover, archaeologists interested in long-term changes have long recognized that the explosion of settlement assemblages is not unique to Greece and that similar developments are archaeologically documented for other areas of the Balkans that were not under Byzantine rule at that time. More economically minded accounts of the so-called Middle Byzantine period have revealed the complex relation between trade and agriculture in the economic take-off of the Macedonian period. The book offers for the first time a synthetic view of the economic and social processes at work in early medieval Greece, but pays attention also to political and religious phenomena.
Florin Curta and Siu-lun Wong
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748638093
- eISBN:
- 9780748670741
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748638093.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
Although the early medieval period is one of great significance for the history of medieval Greece, its systematic study began comparatively late, and only as a reaction to the theories of the German ...
More
Although the early medieval period is one of great significance for the history of medieval Greece, its systematic study began comparatively late, and only as a reaction to the theories of the German journalist Jakob Philipp Fallmerayer. The obsessive preoccupation with the problem of ethnic continuity may be at least in part responsible for the lack of interest in any other aspect of the history of early medieval Greece. The foundation of the Ecole Française d’Athènes, the Imperial (later German) Institute in Athens, the American School of Classical Studies, and the British School of Archaeology at Athens had a great impact on the study of the “Middle Byzantine” period in Greece, while Greek contributions focused primarily on sigillography and numismatics.Less
Although the early medieval period is one of great significance for the history of medieval Greece, its systematic study began comparatively late, and only as a reaction to the theories of the German journalist Jakob Philipp Fallmerayer. The obsessive preoccupation with the problem of ethnic continuity may be at least in part responsible for the lack of interest in any other aspect of the history of early medieval Greece. The foundation of the Ecole Française d’Athènes, the Imperial (later German) Institute in Athens, the American School of Classical Studies, and the British School of Archaeology at Athens had a great impact on the study of the “Middle Byzantine” period in Greece, while Greek contributions focused primarily on sigillography and numismatics.
Florin Curta and Siu-lun Wong
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748638093
- eISBN:
- 9780748670741
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748638093.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
Until the late sixth century, the territory of present-day Greece suffered only occasionally from barbarian attacks. Unlike the central and northern regions of the Balkans, there were fewer regular ...
More
Until the late sixth century, the territory of present-day Greece suffered only occasionally from barbarian attacks. Unlike the central and northern regions of the Balkans, there were fewer regular troops and fewer fortifications erected during the Justinianic era, the only major exception being the large fort at Isthmia. By contrast, there were many basilicas built in Greece and the study of the marble capitals recuperated from their ruins shows a complicated network of artistic relations linking ecclesiastical centers in Greece to Constantinople. By contrast, little is known about rural settlements, but the recent discovery of a farm at Pyrgouthi shed new light on the dispersed settlement pattern in Late Antiquity. The longer resilience of the agricultural economy in Greece (as opposed to the rest of the Balkans), and the inclusion of the Greek lands in the larger network of exchange across the Mediterranean explains the relative prosperity of the region and the vitality of the urban life.Less
Until the late sixth century, the territory of present-day Greece suffered only occasionally from barbarian attacks. Unlike the central and northern regions of the Balkans, there were fewer regular troops and fewer fortifications erected during the Justinianic era, the only major exception being the large fort at Isthmia. By contrast, there were many basilicas built in Greece and the study of the marble capitals recuperated from their ruins shows a complicated network of artistic relations linking ecclesiastical centers in Greece to Constantinople. By contrast, little is known about rural settlements, but the recent discovery of a farm at Pyrgouthi shed new light on the dispersed settlement pattern in Late Antiquity. The longer resilience of the agricultural economy in Greece (as opposed to the rest of the Balkans), and the inclusion of the Greek lands in the larger network of exchange across the Mediterranean explains the relative prosperity of the region and the vitality of the urban life.
Florin Curta and Siu-lun Wong
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748638093
- eISBN:
- 9780748670741
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748638093.003.0007
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The numismatic, sphragistic, and archaeological evidence shows that after 620, Greece entered a relatively long period of political instability and sharp demographic decline. New identities appear to ...
More
The numismatic, sphragistic, and archaeological evidence shows that after 620, Greece entered a relatively long period of political instability and sharp demographic decline. New identities appear to have been forged out of disparate cultural elements in the uncertain times of the first half of the seventh century. This is reflected in such burial assemblages as those from Nea Anchialos and Corinth (the “wandering soldier” grave). The extraordinary number of coins struck for Emperor Constans II and found in Athens and Corinth may indicate the presence of the imperial court during the winter of 662/3, when the emperor moved to Italy. However, surges in the number of coins are also attested for subsequent reigns and may signal the presence of local markets for fresh food and other commodities necessary to the imperial fleet and the soldiers of the theme of Hellas. In the same direction point the many seals, primarily of military officers and kommerkiarioi of Hellas. A different explanation is required for a number of seals of archons of the Slavs, most likely regional rulers on the northern border of the theme.Less
The numismatic, sphragistic, and archaeological evidence shows that after 620, Greece entered a relatively long period of political instability and sharp demographic decline. New identities appear to have been forged out of disparate cultural elements in the uncertain times of the first half of the seventh century. This is reflected in such burial assemblages as those from Nea Anchialos and Corinth (the “wandering soldier” grave). The extraordinary number of coins struck for Emperor Constans II and found in Athens and Corinth may indicate the presence of the imperial court during the winter of 662/3, when the emperor moved to Italy. However, surges in the number of coins are also attested for subsequent reigns and may signal the presence of local markets for fresh food and other commodities necessary to the imperial fleet and the soldiers of the theme of Hellas. In the same direction point the many seals, primarily of military officers and kommerkiarioi of Hellas. A different explanation is required for a number of seals of archons of the Slavs, most likely regional rulers on the northern border of the theme.
Florin Curta and Siu-lun Wong
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748638093
- eISBN:
- 9780748670741
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748638093.003.0013
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The presence of the army in early medieval Greece had much more to do with neighboring areas of military conflict (with the Arabs or the Bulgarians) than with territorial expansion. The identity of ...
More
The presence of the army in early medieval Greece had much more to do with neighboring areas of military conflict (with the Arabs or the Bulgarians) than with territorial expansion. The identity of several groups in the interior of Peloponnesos and in northern Greece cannot be subsumed to the label “Slavs,” because no evidence exists that such people thought of themselves as united by whatever values or opposed as a block to the imperial administration. The use of (Common) Slavic in Greece is attested in glosses to the Geography of Strabo, but bilingualism seems to have been a phenomenon sufficiently wide-spread to form the basis of ethnic jokes at the imperial court in Constantinople. Several other groups—Kapheroi, Armenians, Magyars, and “Latins”—appear in the written sources, while Jews were well established in Sparta and, later, on the island of Chios. In contrast to all of them, the natives were regarded as different by virtue of being subjects of the emperor. While ethnic traits mattered to Byzantine authors, the inhabitants of early medieval Greece were more often understood to be Roman, while “Greek” was a half-derogatory term employed for new settlers.Less
The presence of the army in early medieval Greece had much more to do with neighboring areas of military conflict (with the Arabs or the Bulgarians) than with territorial expansion. The identity of several groups in the interior of Peloponnesos and in northern Greece cannot be subsumed to the label “Slavs,” because no evidence exists that such people thought of themselves as united by whatever values or opposed as a block to the imperial administration. The use of (Common) Slavic in Greece is attested in glosses to the Geography of Strabo, but bilingualism seems to have been a phenomenon sufficiently wide-spread to form the basis of ethnic jokes at the imperial court in Constantinople. Several other groups—Kapheroi, Armenians, Magyars, and “Latins”—appear in the written sources, while Jews were well established in Sparta and, later, on the island of Chios. In contrast to all of them, the natives were regarded as different by virtue of being subjects of the emperor. While ethnic traits mattered to Byzantine authors, the inhabitants of early medieval Greece were more often understood to be Roman, while “Greek” was a half-derogatory term employed for new settlers.
W. F. Ryan
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263952
- eISBN:
- 9780191734083
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263952.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
This chapter examines the history and developments in Slavonic studies in Great Britain. It explains that English awareness of Slav Europe was not great in the middle ages and that the inclusion of ...
More
This chapter examines the history and developments in Slavonic studies in Great Britain. It explains that English awareness of Slav Europe was not great in the middle ages and that the inclusion of the medieval period of the various Slav peoples in the general history of Europe was a gradual process. It suggests that the study of Slavonic languages and literatures was not a discipline in British universities until comparatively recent times. However, a good many of the university departments of Russian or Slavonic studies which formerly existed in Great Britain, especially in the post-World War 2 period, have now been closed.Less
This chapter examines the history and developments in Slavonic studies in Great Britain. It explains that English awareness of Slav Europe was not great in the middle ages and that the inclusion of the medieval period of the various Slav peoples in the general history of Europe was a gradual process. It suggests that the study of Slavonic languages and literatures was not a discipline in British universities until comparatively recent times. However, a good many of the university departments of Russian or Slavonic studies which formerly existed in Great Britain, especially in the post-World War 2 period, have now been closed.
BRUCE M. METZGER
- Published in print:
- 1977
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198261704
- eISBN:
- 9780191682209
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198261704.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Early Christian Studies
This chapter discusses the introduction of Christianity among the Slavs and the translation of the New Testament in that region. According to the Vita Constantini, Cyril devised the Glagolithic ...
More
This chapter discusses the introduction of Christianity among the Slavs and the translation of the New Testament in that region. According to the Vita Constantini, Cyril devised the Glagolithic alphabet for the writing of Slavonic and began the translation of the Gospel. The earliest Old Church Slavonic manuscripts, preserving biblical, liturgical, and theological texts, are written in Glagolitic script. This chapter also provides a list of New Testament manuscripts in the Old Church Slavonic version and examines the limitations of Old Church Slavonic in representing Greek.Less
This chapter discusses the introduction of Christianity among the Slavs and the translation of the New Testament in that region. According to the Vita Constantini, Cyril devised the Glagolithic alphabet for the writing of Slavonic and began the translation of the Gospel. The earliest Old Church Slavonic manuscripts, preserving biblical, liturgical, and theological texts, are written in Glagolitic script. This chapter also provides a list of New Testament manuscripts in the Old Church Slavonic version and examines the limitations of Old Church Slavonic in representing Greek.
Eva Horn
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780813175416
- eISBN:
- 9780813175447
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813175416.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, Military History
After reviewing aspects of Germany and Austria-Hungary’s political dispositions regarding the eastern front, Peter Hoeres examines the Central Powers’ cultural perceptions of their Slavic enemies. ...
More
After reviewing aspects of Germany and Austria-Hungary’s political dispositions regarding the eastern front, Peter Hoeres examines the Central Powers’ cultural perceptions of their Slavic enemies. Adducing evidence from numerous sources including German soldiers’ published letters, journalists’ writings, and the works of cultural commentators, the chapter analyzes stereotypes of the “barbaric” peoples of the east.Less
After reviewing aspects of Germany and Austria-Hungary’s political dispositions regarding the eastern front, Peter Hoeres examines the Central Powers’ cultural perceptions of their Slavic enemies. Adducing evidence from numerous sources including German soldiers’ published letters, journalists’ writings, and the works of cultural commentators, the chapter analyzes stereotypes of the “barbaric” peoples of the east.
Alfred Thomas
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203612
- eISBN:
- 9780191675898
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203612.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
The Slavs' response to the German hegemony was to adopt a policy of appeasement and resistance, whichever was required by the situation. The Slav-German relationship became most complex and ...
More
The Slavs' response to the German hegemony was to adopt a policy of appeasement and resistance, whichever was required by the situation. The Slav-German relationship became most complex and paradoxical in Bohemia and Moravia. This chapter explores this relationship as reflected in Old Czech literature from the end of the 13th to the beginning of the 15th century. From the outset, the Czechs entertained ambivalent feelings toward their more powerful neighbours. In political and cultural matters they often sought to emulate the foreigners, yet at the same time felt resentful of their prosperity and accomplishments, especially when the Germans began to receive special favours from the Czech kings. The chapter further discusses the political and economic situation in the Czech lands, waves of German immigration, and the policy sovereigns of the Přemyslid dynasty.Less
The Slavs' response to the German hegemony was to adopt a policy of appeasement and resistance, whichever was required by the situation. The Slav-German relationship became most complex and paradoxical in Bohemia and Moravia. This chapter explores this relationship as reflected in Old Czech literature from the end of the 13th to the beginning of the 15th century. From the outset, the Czechs entertained ambivalent feelings toward their more powerful neighbours. In political and cultural matters they often sought to emulate the foreigners, yet at the same time felt resentful of their prosperity and accomplishments, especially when the Germans began to receive special favours from the Czech kings. The chapter further discusses the political and economic situation in the Czech lands, waves of German immigration, and the policy sovereigns of the Přemyslid dynasty.
Peter Sarris
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199261260
- eISBN:
- 9780191730962
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199261260.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
This chapter examines the East Roman position in the Balkans in the sixth century and the imperial response to mounting pressure caused by Slavonic raiders and settlers. The migration to the north of ...
More
This chapter examines the East Roman position in the Balkans in the sixth century and the imperial response to mounting pressure caused by Slavonic raiders and settlers. The migration to the north of the Balkans of the Avars in the late sixth century is identified as a major destabilising factor, which also played a role in propelling Langobard settlers into northern Italy where recently restored Roman rule was undermined. The emergence of new political and social structures further West in Visigothic Hispania, Merovingian Gaul, and Lowland Britain are then examined. In Gaul (or ‘Francia”) in particular, there are signs of growing ambition and sophistication on the part of royal government. In Spain likewise, the conversion of the Visigoths to Catholic Christianity allowed for the emergence of a closer relationship between ruler and ruled, and in Britain new political and social hierarchies began to emerge.Less
This chapter examines the East Roman position in the Balkans in the sixth century and the imperial response to mounting pressure caused by Slavonic raiders and settlers. The migration to the north of the Balkans of the Avars in the late sixth century is identified as a major destabilising factor, which also played a role in propelling Langobard settlers into northern Italy where recently restored Roman rule was undermined. The emergence of new political and social structures further West in Visigothic Hispania, Merovingian Gaul, and Lowland Britain are then examined. In Gaul (or ‘Francia”) in particular, there are signs of growing ambition and sophistication on the part of royal government. In Spain likewise, the conversion of the Visigoths to Catholic Christianity allowed for the emergence of a closer relationship between ruler and ruled, and in Britain new political and social hierarchies began to emerge.
Alexis Heraclides and Ada Dialla
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780719089909
- eISBN:
- 9781781708484
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719089909.003.0009
- Subject:
- Sociology, Comparative and Historical Sociology
In this chapter the focus is wider, including other aspects of humanitarian intervention and not only diplomatic exchanges and the views of major protagonists. The elements of a rising Russian and ...
More
In this chapter the focus is wider, including other aspects of humanitarian intervention and not only diplomatic exchanges and the views of major protagonists. The elements of a rising Russian and European sense of identification and empathy with the suffering is traced and the links and vehicles through which the suffering of ‘strangers’ in the unknown Balkans (the ‘Christian East’ of the Asian Department of the Russian foreign ministry) were brought to the attention of the wider Russian public and not only to elite circles. The chapter concludes with the contemporary critique of Russia’s policy and the questioning of its pure humanitarian motives. More specifically this chapter examines the Russian foreign policy and the Eastern Question; the so-called initial ‘peaceful intervention’ of Russia during the Balkan crisis and the plight of the Bulgarians; the Russo-Ottoman war seen in Russia as ‘a generous crusade’; the role of Russian Panslavism; public opinion in Russia and the Russian-British-American entanglements; the human sympathy of Russian society towards the Slavs; and rethinking the ‘noble cause’.Less
In this chapter the focus is wider, including other aspects of humanitarian intervention and not only diplomatic exchanges and the views of major protagonists. The elements of a rising Russian and European sense of identification and empathy with the suffering is traced and the links and vehicles through which the suffering of ‘strangers’ in the unknown Balkans (the ‘Christian East’ of the Asian Department of the Russian foreign ministry) were brought to the attention of the wider Russian public and not only to elite circles. The chapter concludes with the contemporary critique of Russia’s policy and the questioning of its pure humanitarian motives. More specifically this chapter examines the Russian foreign policy and the Eastern Question; the so-called initial ‘peaceful intervention’ of Russia during the Balkan crisis and the plight of the Bulgarians; the Russo-Ottoman war seen in Russia as ‘a generous crusade’; the role of Russian Panslavism; public opinion in Russia and the Russian-British-American entanglements; the human sympathy of Russian society towards the Slavs; and rethinking the ‘noble cause’.
Richard Taruskin
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520249790
- eISBN:
- 9780520942806
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520249790.003.0013
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
This chapter discusses the Christianization of Russia that took place in 988, and which was recently celebrated the world over. After considering and rejecting Judaism and Islam, the Great Prince ...
More
This chapter discusses the Christianization of Russia that took place in 988, and which was recently celebrated the world over. After considering and rejecting Judaism and Islam, the Great Prince Vladimir of Kiev embraced the Christian faith and established it as a state religion, the statiest state religion that ever was. The distinction is necessary if the subject of these remarks is to have any meaning at all, and it will also help explain why “Christian Themes in Russian Opera” could well be the title of one of those proverbial “short books,” alongside, say, “Famous Organists of the Eastern Orthodox Church,” or “Ecclesiastical Music Patronage in the U.S.S.R.” The many operas, beginning with Tikhon Khrennikov's Into the Storm (1939), that encase the person of Lenin and promote the religious veneration of both the icon and the state for which he stands, have continued to embody an updated but essentially unaltered “Christian theme” such as had served previously to sanctify the Russia Lenin overthrew.Less
This chapter discusses the Christianization of Russia that took place in 988, and which was recently celebrated the world over. After considering and rejecting Judaism and Islam, the Great Prince Vladimir of Kiev embraced the Christian faith and established it as a state religion, the statiest state religion that ever was. The distinction is necessary if the subject of these remarks is to have any meaning at all, and it will also help explain why “Christian Themes in Russian Opera” could well be the title of one of those proverbial “short books,” alongside, say, “Famous Organists of the Eastern Orthodox Church,” or “Ecclesiastical Music Patronage in the U.S.S.R.” The many operas, beginning with Tikhon Khrennikov's Into the Storm (1939), that encase the person of Lenin and promote the religious veneration of both the icon and the state for which he stands, have continued to embody an updated but essentially unaltered “Christian theme” such as had served previously to sanctify the Russia Lenin overthrew.
