DOCSLIB.ORG

Translations from Popular Medieval Russian Compendia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Translations from Popular Medieval Russian Compendia by Alexey A. Logvinenko 2015 © Alexey Logvinenko, 2012, 2013 1 Table of Contents Preface Introduction: Traditional Compendia in Russia Note on Translation Prolog (Synaxarion) 1642/1643 edition (with earlier lections) Background 1. Autumn 2. Winter 3. Spring 4. Summer 5. Izmaragd (Emerald) 16th century manuscript 6. Paterik Azbuchniy (Alphabetical Patericon) 1654 ms. 7. Tsvetnik Svyaschennoinoka Dorofeya (Florilegium of Dorotheos the Monk) mid 17th century ms. 8. Kirillova Kniga (Book of Kiril); 1644 edition Appendix 1: Miscellanea Сборник о почитании икон, Виноград Российский, Pseudo-Chrysostom on drunks, Maxim the Greek… Appendix 2: More from Prolog Appendix 3: More from Izmaragd Appendix 4: Verses from the famous Menology of Metropolite Makariy early 16th century ms. Appendix 5: Miscellanea 2: Saint Basil at drunks, Pandects… Appendix 6: Life of St. Euthrosinia, Boyarinya Morozova… Concluding Remarks and Glossary Bibliography 2 Preface This book consists of translations from the popular hagiographical, didactical and polemical compilations that circulated in Russia prior to the modern age and continue to enjoy popularity in some circles. Almost all of the texts translated herein appeared prior to the mid-seventeenth century schism, which is seen by most scholars as the event that set off Old-Russian literature, conventionally termed, mediæval, from the more modern and reformed literary styles and genres. Students of Old-Russian literature are often tempted to think that the texts that draw the attention of today’s scholars, post-Soviet and western, have likewise enjoyed popularity in whilom times. I am speaking of the various chronicles, epics and other not overtly religious works that are scrutinized by researchers for this very reason. These, however, were never popular, nor were they intended for a general audience. Whereas the writs studied in this book (in addition to the liturgical texts, which were, by far, the most prevalent) were widely read and therefore exerted a great influence on the minds of people from all walks of life. These articles, many of them narratives, are often found in manuscripts and printed books broadly termed: compendia, compilations, florilegia, anthologies, chrestomathies, sborniki or tsvetniki. The stories and tales translated in this book illuminate some of the more concise and vivid of these texts. The chapter introductions will show that the following texts (with the exception of some material in the appendices) were indeed very popular in manuscript and print. The books containing them were reprinted in Russia during the short intervals when this was legal (1780s - 1790s, 1905 - 1917) and when it was semi-legal. The type of translation employed is generally very literal, that is, word- for-word. I tried to preserve as much as possible - not only the content, but also the structure and style. This renders much of the translation difficult to read and inconvenient, but it may help the reader to remember that the passages were intended to be read out-loud, slowly, pausing at the commas (save for those inserted because they are absolutely necessary in modern English usage). It also needs be remembered that these texts, most of which are considered canonical by hundreds of thousands of people, are not without their grammatical flaws, given that most have undergone countless adjustments subsequent their translation from the Greek, sometimes via a southern dialect of Slavonic. By no means do I suggest that anything be altered. On the contrary, I have tried not to introduce my own interpretations outside of the square brackets, italicized words and 3 footnotes. However, translation is not an exact science, and there are numerous ways to render a text, especially one not consisting of constructions that may be termed, sentences. I hesitatingly allowed myself liberties when it comes to the vocabulary, introducing quite a few archaic, even obsolete words, which, when combined with the pithy, even naïve vocabulary of early Slavonic, create an eclectic, somewhat muddled style, that is not unlike that of the Slavonic text. As far as the content - much of it will seem dreary to a modern reader; there are many descriptions of torment and death; young children should probably refrain from reading it. I have tried to select the most curious, shocking, strange, humorous and controversial excerpts, many of which are not politically-correct. Be you Catholic or Protestant, Muslim, Jew, or a woman, if you forget the medieval context of the writings you are likely to be offended. I hope that the selections will not be too tedious - they are short and very diverse. Some of the articles were not originally translated from the Greek; these provide an especially interesting glimpse into medieval Russian life. Some of the texts were intended primarily for monastic use, but Orthodox laymen valued and read them as well. The texts in this book cover over seven centuries (10th to 17th) and represent many styles. Most of the passages had not previously been translated into English, so this book should be of value to anyone interested in medieval Russian literature, Byzantine martyrology, Orthodox polemic and Old-Believer faith. The book contains a nearly comprehensive collection of medieval Russian sermons on drunkenness, a great deal of ancient humor, and over a hundred articles on various women’s issues. I would like to thank Lydia Fetku for sharing her Slavonic expertise and her encouragement, as well as my sister for computer support. Introduction: Traditional Compendia in Russia Literate Slavs likely appeared in the Russian land around the beginning of the 10th century; the exact age is impossible now to ascertain. By the middle of the century there were Christians in Kiev and it is safe to assume that in their services they used books that can be termed, compilations. Once the inhabitants turned to Christianity en masse in the eleventh century, a literary culture began to spread throughout the empire. Among the more famous early compendia are the Izbornik of 10731 and that of 1076, 1 See, Изборник Святослава 1073 года. (Facsimile) Москва: Книга, 1983. 4 which influenced many later compilations. An early version of Prolog might have appeared in this century.2 Other medieval Russian compilations of relatively stable content include the following names: Zlataya Tzep’,3 distantly related to the Pandekti (catenae) of Antiochus, the Pandekti of Nikon of the Black Mountain,4 Zlataya Matitza, Pchela,5 Rai, Izmaragd, various Nomokanoni (penitentiaries, such as Zonar), Appended Psalters and various Patericons - collections of stories of monastic life.6 Some compilations describe the natural world, such as the Tolkovaya Paleya. Others are service books, such as the Torzhestvennik (Panegyricon).7 Hagiographic compilations include the voluminous and rare Lectionary Menology (Menaia, Menologion), in which the vitae of the saints are arranged according to the days of the year. Books later termed, ascetic compilations,8 include versions of Starchestvo.9 Books attributed to a single compilator, or associated with one main author, were also popular. These include: Dioptra, Lestvitza (of John the Sinite), Postnichestvo (of Basil the Great), 2 Such is the opinion of L. V. Prokopenko, who studied the lexicography of the earliest Slavonic version of the book. See, Прокопенко, Л. В. et al. ed. Славяно-Русский Пролог по Древнейшим Спискам. Синаксарь. Сентябрь - Февраль Tome 2. Moscow: Institute of the Russian Language, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2011. p. 680 3 Encyclopedic compendia of three types go by this name; some are related to the abovementioned izborniki. Taken together, they contain up to 3000 articles and their analects, by up to 200 Slavic and Byzantine authors. See, Крутова, М. С. Книга Глаголемая. Москва: Пашков дом, 2010. p. 195 Zlataya Tzep’ exists in Greek and Latin under various names: Σέιραι’, Catena aurea, Glossa... ibid. p. 196 4 This book was translated into Slavonic as early as the 12th century. See, Максимович, К. А. Пандекты Никона… TODRL, Tome LIX. St. Petersburg: Наука, 2008. p. 46 5 Translated in Russia in the 12 - 13 c., this compilation had been popular until the 18th c. It contains excerpts from the ancient philosophers along with those of the Church Fathers. See, Прокофьева, И. И. Сокровища Древнерусской Литературы: Древнерусская Притча. Москва: Советская Россия, 1991. p. 483 6 Sinai Patericon (Limonar’), Skit Patericon, Mt. Athos Patericon, Jerusalem Patericon, Alphabetical Patericon, Roman Patericon et al. 7 For the early Slavonic history of this book and its relation to Zlatoust, see, Черторицкая, Т. В. О начальных этапах… Источниковедение литературы Древней Руси. Д. С. Лихачев et al., ed. Ленинград: Наука, 1980. p. 96 8 M. S. Egorova. Russian Ascetical Compilations of the 14th-16th centuries, as a Compilation Type. TODRL, Tome LVI. St. Petersburg: Дмитрий Буланин, 2004. She also identifies encyclopedic, historical, hymnographycal and other types. Other researchers, she writes, have used the terms “monastic compilation,” “patristic compilation,” and “otechnik.” ibid. p. 182. The content of most such compendia, she writes, is like a kaleidoscope, in its diversity. p. 201 9 A popular version of this guidebook for novice monks was likely compiled in the first half of the 16th century. See the article by S. A. Semyachko in TODRL, Tome LVIII 5 Taktikon (of Nikon of the Black Mt.), Margarit,10 Zlatostrui,11 and Zlatoust.12 The latter two are associated
Recommended publications
  • Eunucos: Fontes, Realidades, Representações E Problemáticas Da Antiguidade Oriental Ao Período Bizantino

    Eunucos: Fontes, Realidades, Representações E Problemáticas Da Antiguidade Oriental Ao Período Bizantino

    UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA FACULDADE DE LETRAS EUNUCOS: FONTES, REALIDADES, REPRESENTAÇÕES E PROBLEMÁTICAS DA ANTIGUIDADE ORIENTAL AO PERÍODO BIZANTINO JOANNE BARBOZA FERREIRA Tese orientada pelo Prof. Doutor Nuno Simões Rodrigues, especialmente elaborada para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em História Antiga. 2019 AGRADECIMENTOS Gostaria de agradecer primeiramente à minha mãe, Anne Jacqueline, quem em realidade também sempre foi também pai, irmã e melhor amiga. Obrigada por, antes de mais nada, proporcionar o apoio financeiro sem o qual minha experiência em Portugal não seria possível. Obrigada por acreditar e investir sempre em mim e por me apoiar em todos os caminhos que trilhei até hoje. Mesmo passando por inúmeros problemas pessoais e de saúde, por momentos nos quais não possuía mais forças nem para si, sempre buscou oferecer o melhor para mim. Sem o seu exemplo de ser humano, eu jamais me tornaria a mulher que sou hoje. Sou imensamente grata também ao meu marido, Adrien Bonn, quem me proporcionou o apoio emocional sem o qual eu jamais poderia ultrapassar as dificuldades que encontrei enquanto estudante e mulher brasileira em Portugal. Obrigada por ser sempre o meu maior fã, por acreditar no meu potencial e por ter sido o meu porto seguro enquanto eu enfrentava um quadro quase sem fim de burnout e depressão. Agradeço ao meu professor e orientador Dr. Nuno Rodrigues por ter sugerido este tema que nunca imaginei trabalhar, mas com o qual me identifiquei e me apaixonei logo que comecei a aprofundar. Obrigada também por ser o único na faculdade que não apenas acreditou na possibilidade da pesquisa, mas que também se ofereceu para ajudar.
  • Jordanes and the Invention of Roman-Gothic History Dissertation

    Jordanes and the Invention of Roman-Gothic History Dissertation

    Empire of Hope and Tragedy: Jordanes and the Invention of Roman-Gothic History Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Brian Swain Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2014 Dissertation Committee: Timothy Gregory, Co-advisor Anthony Kaldellis Kristina Sessa, Co-advisor Copyright by Brian Swain 2014 Abstract This dissertation explores the intersection of political and ethnic conflict during the emperor Justinian’s wars of reconquest through the figure and texts of Jordanes, the earliest barbarian voice to survive antiquity. Jordanes was ethnically Gothic - and yet he also claimed a Roman identity. Writing from Constantinople in 551, he penned two Latin histories on the Gothic and Roman pasts respectively. Crucially, Jordanes wrote while Goths and Romans clashed in the imperial war to reclaim the Italian homeland that had been under Gothic rule since 493. That a Roman Goth wrote about Goths while Rome was at war with Goths is significant and has no analogue in the ancient record. I argue that it was precisely this conflict which prompted Jordanes’ historical inquiry. Jordanes, though, has long been considered a mere copyist, and seldom treated as an historian with ideas of his own. And the few scholars who have treated Jordanes as an original author have dampened the significance of his Gothicness by arguing that barbarian ethnicities were evanescent and subsumed by the gravity of a Roman political identity. They hold that Jordanes was simply a Roman who can tell us only about Roman things, and supported the Roman emperor in his war against the Goths.
  • A Game of Power Courtly Influence on the Decision-Making of Emperor Theodosius II (R

    A Game of Power Courtly Influence on the Decision-Making of Emperor Theodosius II (R

    A game of power Courtly influence on the decision-making of emperor Theodosius II (r. 408-450) Research Master Thesis Supervisor: Prof. Dr. L.V. Rutgers Consulting reader: Dr. R. Strootman RMA Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies Utrecht University 16-06-2013 Emma Groeneveld [email protected] 3337707 1 Index Preface ................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 4 1. Court studies ..................................................................................................... 8 2. Theodosius ......................................................................................................20 3. High officials ....................................................................................................25 4. Eunuchs ..........................................................................................................40 5. Royal women ...................................................................................................57 6. Analysis ...........................................................................................................69 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................83 Bibliography.........................................................................................................86 Appendix I. ..........................................................................................................92
  • The Andreios Eunuch-Commander Narses: Sign of a Decoupling of Martial Virtues and Masculinity in the Early Byzantine Empire?

    The Andreios Eunuch-Commander Narses: Sign of a Decoupling of Martial Virtues and Masculinity in the Early Byzantine Empire?

    The Andreios Eunuch-Commander Narses: Sign of a Decoupling of Martial Virtues and Masculinity in the Early Byzantine Empire? Michael Edward Stewart University of Queensland Abstract: This paper looks at the place of the sixth-century Byzantine general Narses (c. 480–573) in the history of Byzantine gender. Certainly, it has always been important for ancient and modern historians to emphasise Narses’ eunuchism. Indeed, for many modern scholars, Narses’ identity as a castrate has been more important for study than his military deeds and political achievements that proved ephemeral. For some, the presence of a eunuch in such an essential military role indicates a turning away from codes of generalship based on traditional martial courage and manliness. This paper questions such a view, suggesting that Byzantium had a much more flexible notion of eunuchs’ gender status than some recent scholarship allows. Indeed, it suggests that Narses fits into a continuing hegemony of traditional masculine values based on the supremacy of Byzantine men’s martial virtues The sixth-century Byzantine general Narses (c. 480–573) has long earned historians’ respect.1 He deserves this acclaim since his major victories over the Goths in 552 and versus the Franks and Alamanni in 554 helped to secure the Emperor Justinian I’s (ruled 527–565) retaking of Italy from the Goths after an arduous nineteen-year struggle.2 So too did Narses perform admirably for twelve years in his role as prefect 1 Michael Edward Stewart, ‘The Andreios Eunuch Commander Narses’ of Italy. Of course, it has always been important to emphasise that Narses was a eunuch.
  • Notitia Dignitatum As a Historical Source

    Notitia Dignitatum As a Historical Source

    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive Library An Assessment of the Notitia Dignitatum as a Historical Source for the Late Roman Bureaucracy A thesis submitted by: Ruth O’Hara For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisor: Dr Michael Williams Head of Department: Dr. Kieran McGroarty Department of Ancient Classics National University of Ireland, Maynooth, October 2013 Contents Abstract 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Approaching the Notitia Dignitatum ................................................................. 5 1.3 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 10 2. The Notitia Dignitatum: Nature and Reception .................................................... 11 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 11 2.2 The nature of the Notitia Dignitatum .............................................................. 11 2.2.1 The nature of the text .................................................................................. 13 2.3 Dating ................................................................................................................ 17 2.3.1 The
  • The Imperial Administrative System in the Ninth Century, with a Revised Text

    The Imperial Administrative System in the Ninth Century, with a Revised Text

    THE BRITISH ACADEMY SUPPLEMENTAL PAPERS I The Imperial Administrative System in the Ninth Century t With a Revised Text of The Kletorologion of Philotheos J. B. Bury Fellow of the Academy London Published for the British Academy By Henry Frowde, Oxford University Press Amen Corner, E.G. Price Ten Shillings and Sixpence net THE BRITISH ACADEMY SUPPLEMENTAL PAPERS I The Imperial Administrative System in the Ninth Century With a Revised Text of The Kletorologion of Philotheos By J. B. Bury Fellow of the Academy London Published for the British Academy By Henry Frowde, Oxford University Press Amen Corner, E.G. 1911 SUMMARY OF CONTENTS PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY .......... 3 A. PRELIMINARY .......... 7 (1) Sources for institutional history. text of Philotheos. (2) The (3) The contents and sources of the Kletorologion. The Taktikon Uspenski. (4) Scope of the following investigation. General comparison of the Constaiitinian with the later Byzantine system. Sta 20 B. DIGNITIES (at /?/oa/3etW di'at) ...... Sia 36 C. OFFICES (at \6yov dtat) ....... I. crrpar^yot. II. So/ACOTlKOl. III. Kptrai. IV. V. VI. VII. dtat D. DIGNITIES AND OFFICES OF THE EUNUCHS . .120 I. d^tat Sta ^paj8etW. II. d^tat Sta \6yov. TEXT OF THE KLKTOROLOGION OF PHILOTHEOS . 131 Ml 226210 BIBLIOGRAPHY SOURCES. Saec. V. [Not. Dig.] Notitia Dignitatum, ed/Seeck, 1876. [C. Th.] Codex Theodosianus, ed Mommsen, 1905. Novettae Theodosii II, &c., ed. Meyer, 1905. [C. I.] Codex lustinianus (see below). Saec. VI. [C. I.] Codex lustinianus, ed. Kruger, 1884. lustiniani Novettae, ed. Zacharia von Lingenthal, 1881. lustini II, Tiberii II, Mauricii Novettae, in Zacharia v. Lingenthal, Ins Graeco-Romanum , Pars III, 1857.
  • Honorius, Galla Placidia, and the Struggles for Control of the Western Roman Empire, 405-425 C.E

    Honorius, Galla Placidia, and the Struggles for Control of the Western Roman Empire, 405-425 C.E

    University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2013 Crisis of Legitimacy: Honorius, Galla Placidia, and the Struggles for Control of the Western Roman Empire, 405-425 C.E. Thomas Christopher Lawrence [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the European History Commons Recommended Citation Lawrence, Thomas Christopher, "Crisis of Legitimacy: Honorius, Galla Placidia, and the Struggles for Control of the Western Roman Empire, 405-425 C.E.. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2013. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/1751 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Thomas Christopher Lawrence entitled "Crisis of Legitimacy: Honorius, Galla Placidia, and the Struggles for Control of the Western Roman Empire, 405-425 C.E.." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in History. Michael E. Kulikowski, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Christine Shepardson, Maura Lafferty, Thomas Burman Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Crisis of Legitimacy: Honorius, Galla Placidia, and the Struggles for Control of the Western Roman Empire, 405-425 C.E.
  • Byzantine Names for SCA Personae

    Byzantine Names for SCA Personae

    1 A Short (and rough) Guide to Byzantine Names for SCA personae This is a listing of names that may be useful for constructing Byzantine persona. Having said that, please note that the term „Byzantine‟ is one that was not used in the time of the Empire. They referred to themselves as Romans. Please also note that this is compiled by a non-historian and non-linguist. When errors are detected, please let me know so that I can correct them. Additional material is always welcomed. It is a work in progress and will be added to as I have time to research more books. This is the second major revision and the number of errors picked up is legion. If you have an earlier copy throw it away now. Some names of barbarians who became citizens are included. Names from „client states‟ such as Serbia and Bosnia, as well as adversaries, can be found in my other article called Names for other Eastern Cultures. In itself it is not sufficient documentation for heraldic submission, but it will give you ideas and tell you where to start looking. The use of (?) means that either I have nothing that gives me an idea, or that I am not sure of what I have. If there are alternatives given of „c‟, „x‟ and „k‟ modern scholarship prefers the „k‟. „K‟ is closer to the original in both spelling and pronunciation. Baron, OP, Strategos tous notious okeanous, known to the Latins as Hrolf Current update 12/08/2011 Family Names ............................................................. 2 Male First Names .......................................................
  • The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: Volume IV by Edward Gibbon

    The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: Volume IV by Edward Gibbon

    HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE By Edward Gibbon VOLUME IV This is volume four of the six volumes of Edward Gibbon's History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire. I will be scanning and putting out on the net the remaining volumes as I find time to do this. So have patience. If you find any errors please feel free to notify me of them. I want to make this the best etext edition possible for both scholars and the general public. [email protected] and [email protected] are my email addresses for now. Please feel free to send me your comments and I hope you enjoy this. David Reed History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire Edward Gibbon, Esq. With notes by the Rev. H. H. Milman Vol. 4 1782 (Written), 1845 (Revised) Chapter XXXIX: Gothic Kingdom Of Italy. Part I. Zeno And Anastasius, Emperors Of The East. - Birth, Education, And First Exploits Of Theodoric The Ostrogoth. - His Invasion And Conquest Of Italy. - The Gothic Kingdom Of Italy. - State Of The West. - Military And Civil Government. - The Senator Boethius. - Last Acts And Death Of Theodoric. After the fall of the Roman empire in the West, an interval of fifty years, till the memorable reign of Justinian, is faintly marked by the obscure names and imperfect annals of Zeno, Anastasius, and Justin, who successively ascended to the throne of Constantinople. During the same period, Italy revived and flourished under the government of a Gothic king, who might have deserved a statue among the best and bravest of the ancient Romans.
  • The Medieval Mediterranean ;: Brill

    The Medieval Mediterranean ;: Brill

    rI'II?IS Ile NVHNV2I2IHZIQHW'IVAHIQH1 'dHZ j or THE MEDIEVAL MEDITERRANEAN;:BRILL THE REIGN OF LEO VI (886-912) THE MEDIEVAL MEDITERRANEAN PEOPLES, ECONOMIES AND CULTURES, 400-1453 EDITORS MICHAEL WHITBY (Warwick) PAUL MAGDALINO, HUGH KENNEDY (St. Andrews) DAVID ABULAFIA (Cambridge) BENJAMIN ARBEL (Tel Aviv) MARK MEYERSON (Noire Dame) VOLUME 15 9 Qr r- lX683.S THE REIGN OF LEO VI (886-912) Politics and People BY SHAUN TOUGHER NEG1 1683 BRILL LEIDEN NEW YORK KOLN 1997 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tougher, Shaun. The reign of Leo VI (886-912) : politics and people/by Shaun Tougher. p. cm. - (Medieval Mediterranean ; v. 15) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9004108114 (cloth :alk. paper) 1. Byzantine Empire-History-Leo VI, 886-911. 2. Leo VI, Emperor of the East, 886-912. I. Title. II. Series. DF592.T68 1997 949.5'02DC21 97-22089 CIP Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Tougher, Shaun: The reign of Leo VI : (886 - 912) ; politics and people / by Shaun Tougher. - Leiden ; New York ; Koln : Brill, 1997 (The medieval Mediterranean : Vol. 15) ISBN 90-0410811-4 ISSN 0928-5520 ISBN 90 04 10811 4 © Copyright 1997 by Koninkl#ke Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS CONTENTS Acknowledgements ........................................................................vii Abbreviations.................................................................................ix Map: The Empire of Leo VI, c.
  • Translations from Popular Medieval Russian Compendia

    Translations from Popular Medieval Russian Compendia

    Translations from Popular Medieval Russian Compendia by Alexey A. Logvinenko 2013 1 © Alexey Logvinenko, 2012, 2013 2 Table of Contents Preface: p. 5 Introduction - Traditional Compendia in Russia: p. 7 Note on Translation: p. 11 Prolog (Synaxarion); 1642/1643 edition, with earlier lections Background: p. 13 1. Autumn: p. 18 2. Winter: p. 49 3. Spring: p. 68 4. Summer: p. 89 5. Izmaragd (Emerald) 1912 edition of a 16th-century manuscript: p. 117 6. Paterik Azbuchniy (Alphabetical Patericon) 1791 edition of a 1654 manuscript: p. 143 7. Tsvetnik Svyaschennoinoka Dorofeya (Florilegium of Dorotheos the Monk) 1805 edition of a mid 17th-century text: p. 154 8. Kirillova Kniga (Book of Kiril); 1644 edition: p. 165 Appendix 1: Miscellanea: (Сборник о почитании икон, Виноград Российский… ) p. 176 Appendix 2: More from Izmaragd: p. 209 Appendix 3: More from Prolog: p. 222 Appendix 4: Verses from the famous Menology of Metropolite Makariy: p. 321 Concluding Remarks and Glossary: p. 334 Bibliography: p. 337 3 4 Preface This book consists of translations from the popular hagiographical, didactical and polemical compilations that circulated in Russia prior to the modern age and which continue to enjoy popularity in some circles to this day. All the texts translated herein appeared prior to the mid- seventeenth century schism, which is seen by most scholars as the event which set off Old-Russian literature, conventionally termed “mediæval,” from the more modern and reformed literary styles and genres. Students of Old-Russian literature are often tempted to think that the texts which usually draw the attention of today’s researchers, post-Soviet and western, have also enjoyed popularity in whilom times.
  • The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire

    The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire

    The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire EDWARD N. LUTTWAK THE BELKNAP PRESS OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, England 2009 Copyright © 2009 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Luttwak, Edward. The grand strategy of the Byzantine Empire / Edward N. Luttwak. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-674-03519-5 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Byzantine Empire—Military policy. 2. Strategy—History—To 1500. 3. Military art and science—Byzantine Empire— History. 4. Imperialism—History—To 1500. 5. Byzantine Empire—History, Military. 6. Byzantine Empire—Foreign relations. I. Title. U163.L86 2009 355′.033549500902—dc22 2009011799 Contents List of Maps vii Preface ix I The Invention of Byzantine Strategy 1 1 Attila and the Crisis of Empire 17 2 The Emergence of the New Strategy 49 II Byzantine Diplomacy: The Myth and the Methods 95 3 Envoys 97 4 Religion and Statecraft 113 5 The Uses of Imperial Prestige 124 6 Dynastic Marriages 137 7 The Geography of Power 145 8 Bulghars and Bulgarians 171 9 The Muslim Arabs and Turks 197 vi • Contents III The Byzantine Art of War 235 10 The Classical Inheritance 239 11 The Strategikon of Maurikios 266 12 After the Strategikon 304 13 Leo VI and Naval Warfare 322 14 The Tenth-Century Military Renaissance 338 15 Strategic Maneuver: Herakleios Defeats Persia 393 Conclusion: Grand Strategy and the Byzantine “Operational Code” 409 Appendix: Was Strategy Feasible in Byzantine Times? 421 Emperors from Constantine I to Constantine XI 423 Glossary 427 Notes 433 Works Cited 473 Index of Names 491 General Index 495 Maps 1.