Ceremonial Displays of Imperial Virtue in Byzantium
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Acting Virtuously: Ceremonial Displays of Imperial Virtue in Byzantium by Jeffery Greenall B.A. (History), Thompson Rivers University, 2016 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences © Jeffery Greenall 2019 Simon Fraser University Spring 2019 Copyright in this work rests with the author. Please ensure that any reproduction or re-use is done in accordance with the relevant national copyright legislation. ii Approval Name: Jeffery Greenall Degree: Master of Arts Title: Acting Virtuously: Ceremonial Displays of Imperial Virtue in Byzantium Examining Committee: Chair: Ilya Vinkovetsky Associate Professor Dimitrios Krallis Senior Supervisor Associate Professor Paul Dutton Supervisor Professor Sabrina Higgins External Examiner Assistant Professor Department of Archaeology Date Defended/Approved: April 10, 2019 iii Abstract Recent work by various scholars on the political make-up of the Byzantine Empire has highlighted the fragility of the emperor’s position and his dependence on popular support to keep his office. This thesis looks at the use of ceremony by Byzantine emperors to advertise their qualifications to rule according to medieval Roman sensibilities. The crux of this thesis is the tenth-century Byzantine text known as the De cerimoniis, or The Book of Ceremonies, an imperial handbook detailing the procedures regarding numerous imperial processions, feasts, and other ceremonies compiled on the order of Emperor Konstantinos VII Porphyrogennetos (r.~ 913-959). With this text and supplementary historical narratives, this thesis examines how history, space, and symbolism came together to associate Byzantine emperors with the ancient virtues of rulership as defined by Menander Rhetor (c. second/third century A.D.) – justice, temperance, bravery, and wisdom – essential for any legitimate Basileus. Keywords: Ceremony; De cerimoniis; Byzantium; Virtues; Macedonian Dynasty; iv Dedication To my parents Tina and Al Greenall Thank you for all your help in getting me this far. v Table of Contents Approval .................................................................................................................................................... ii Abstract .................................................................................................................................................... iii Dedication ................................................................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................... v Abbreviations: .......................................................................................................................................... vi Glossary: .................................................................................................................................................. vii Introduction: The Virtuous Emperor ......................................................................................................... 1 Justice: Philanthropia, Evergetism, and Christian Charity ...................................................................... 24 Temperance: Sophrosyne and Imperial Piety ......................................................................................... 48 Bravery: Andreia, Victory, and Divine Approbation ................................................................................ 70 Conclusion: Ceremonial Reinforcement ................................................................................................. 92 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................... 100 Appendix A: Map................................................................................................................................... 110 vi Abbreviations: In general, throughout this thesis I have tried to refrain from excessive abbreviation when referring to the sources and scholarly work as I find it often causes inconvenience to the reader, if not at times outright confusion. That said, I do abbreviate. In most instances, this is when referring to works that have easily shortened names and should not pose an issue when trying to find the work in the bibliography, e.g. The Byzantine Republic: People and Power in New Rome becoming The Byzantine Republic in my footnotes. There are also some instances of more extreme abbreviation such as in the case of primary sources from authors who have either only produced one surviving work, or where I have only cited one of their works in the thesis. For example, Ioannes Skylitzes’ Synopsis Historiarum, 3.2 is often abbreviated to just be “Skylitzes 3.2.” It should be evident from the Bibliography which work I am referring to, but redundancy in pursuit of clarity is not a cardinal sin. De cerimoniis Konstantinos Porphyrogennetos, The Book of Ceremonies; with the Greek Edition of the Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae (Bonn, 1829). Translated by Ann Moffatt and Maxene Tall. 2 vols. Byzantina Australiensia 18. Canberra: Australian Association for Byzantine Studies, 2012. When using the above abbreviation, it refers to the text of the De cerimoniis / The Book of Ceremonies, the principal text of this thesis. When referencing the translation work of Ann Moffatt & Maxene Tall which shares the same pagination as De cerimoniis, I make this clear by using the abbreviation ‘Moffatt & Tall’ followed by the page number. All of this should be clear from context provided in the citations themselves. vii Glossary: The following definitions are, unless otherwise specified, based on those provided in the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, a three-volume set compiled by Alexander Kazhdan. The set as a whole is cited in the bibliography with the page numbers for the sections used provided at the end of each definition in this glossary. Aktouarios A senior member of the Hippodrome staff who coordinated with the emperor regarding imperial ceremony therein. Moffatt, “Glossary”, 826. Archon A designation denoting power and authority over others. In some examples, it can mean the most powerful or exalted of a group, eg. Archons of the kouboukleion. 160. Atriklines A courtier charged with organizing imperial banquets, including seating arrangements and such. A comparatively low rank in the hierarchy. 227. Augustaion A large enclosed courtyard in the space between the imperial palace, the Hagia Sophia, and the Hippodrome. The site of several monuments to imperial glory. 232. Basileus Literally, this term means king in ancient and modern usage and was always used in the Greek East in reference to Roman emperors rather than less explicitly royal titles common in the viii Latin west like imperator. This became the official title of the Roman sovereign as the empire became increasingly Hellenized in the seventh century. 264. Basilika A collection of laws composed in six volumes under the early Macedonian dynasty. This consisted of a curation of Greek translations of the Corpus Iuris Civilis, the definitive law code of Justinian, with supposed superfluous materials omitted. 265. Demarchos The Demarchoi were the leaders of one of the Byzantine ‘factions’. Two of the teams (Green and White) were subsumed under the more popular teams (Red and Blue). All of these teams were famous for participating in the chariot races in the Hippodrome, but they also fulfilled other functions when the time called for it. The title is generally given with its associated colour. 602-603. Demokrates The Demokratai seem to have been a designation that the more illustrious domestikoi assumed as a representative for the two more prominent circus factions (Reds and Blues) in some ceremonial contexts. Moffatt, “Glossary” 828. Domestikos This title is indicative of one who was the head of a specific bureau, particularly a military posting in the context of this thesis. These military postings were to head the different divisions of the tagmata, the personal troops of the emperor as opposed to thematic troops. The most prominent of these officials was the Domestikos ton Scholon (the position was split in two ix in the late tenth to eleventh centuries between East and West), but there were others such as the Domestikos ton Exkoubiton, Domestikos ton Noumeron, or the Domestikos ton Hikanaton. 646- 648. Droungarios During the seventh and eighth centuries, a droungarios represented a high military rank between a tourmarches and a komes, commanding around a thousand men. Between then and the eleventh century, however, the post gradually lost its grandeur and its pay until it was barely above that of a common soldier and was merged with komes. Still, in between this time many important and influential men served as droungarioi, particularly in positions close to the court and the emperors. 663-664. Eidikos Logos The official in charge of the Eidikon, an imperial treasury that consisted of valuable goods such as silk and other wares not including ready cash. 681. Ekloge An eighth-century legal handbook intended to help define the most important precepts in Roman law while also making some updates to the punishments around certain crimes centered around morality. It remained very influential in later attempts at creating good guides to the most important facets of Roman law in the