The Image of the Latins in Late Byzantine Epistolography
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The Image of the Latins in Late Byzantine Epistolography by Zoltán Szegvári Supervisors: Prof Dr. Terézia Olajos (SZTE, †2018), Prof. Dr. Tibor Almási (SZTE) External consultant: Prof. Dr. Anderas Rhoby (ÖAW) 1 I, the undersigned, Zoltán Szegvári, candidate for the PhD degree in History, declare herewith that the present thesis is exclusively my own work, based on my research and only such external information as properly credited in notes and bibliography. I declare that no unidentified and illegitimate use was made of the work of others, and no part of the thesis infringes on any person’s or institution’s copyright. I also declare that no part of the thesis has been submitted in this form to any other institution of higher education for an academic degree. Szeged, 10 September 2020 Signature 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... 3 Preface ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 The Sources ......................................................................................................................................... 7 I. Methodology: Ethnicity and the Epistolographers.......................................................................... 9 I.1. Ethnicity and Ethnic Relations ....................................................................................................... 9 I.2. Greco-Roman and Byzantine Epistolography: Antique and Modern Letter-Theories ................ 12 II. Violent Conflict between the Latins and the Byzantines .............................................................. 18 II.1. War ............................................................................................................................................. 18 II.2. Oppression ................................................................................................................................. 36 II.3. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 66 III. Closer Relationships .................................................................................................................. 68 III.1. Latins in the Family .................................................................................................................... 68 III.2. A Greek Family among the Latins .............................................................................................. 71 III.3. A Latin Becoming a Compatriot ................................................................................................. 73 III.4. His Imperial Majesty and the Latin Petitioners ......................................................................... 75 III.5. An Appeasing Embassy that Failed Remarkably ........................................................................ 76 III.6. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 77 IV. The Morals of the Latins ............................................................................................................ 78 IV.1. Insatiability ................................................................................................................................ 78 IV.2. Hybris ........................................................................................................................................ 85 IV.3. Love of Strife ............................................................................................................................. 93 IV.4. Sexual Violence ......................................................................................................................... 94 IV.5. Deceitfulness ............................................................................................................................. 96 IV.6. Concoction of ‘Poisons’ ............................................................................................................. 97 IV.7. Suspiciousness ........................................................................................................................... 99 IV.8. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 100 V. Culture ......................................................................................................................................... 101 V.1. Memories of Latin Roman Culture in Byzantium ..................................................................... 101 V.2. A Taste Most Questionable? Latin Textiles Worn by Byzantine Citizens ................................. 104 V.3. The ‘Unutterable Flesh’: Unclean Food on Latin Tables .......................................................... 106 V.4. No Latin should rule over any Roman … for a Different Level of Culture? .............................. 107 V.5. ‘A Return of the Vandals?’ Uncivilised Latins Endangering Byzantine Culture ........................ 108 3 V.6. A ‘Failing’ Western Science? .................................................................................................... 109 V.7. The ‘Most Antilogical Latins’ .................................................................................................... 115 V.8. Westerners Who Admire Greek Paideia ... .............................................................................. 117 V.9. ... Westerners Who Acquire Greek paideia ... .......................................................................... 118 V.10. ... and Byzantines Who Acquire Latin Paideia ........................................................................ 125 V.11. The Charge of the Cultural Decline of the Greeks.................................................................. 130 V.12. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 135 VI. Religious Subjects Occasionally Present in the Letters ........................................................... 136 VI.1. Heresy ..................................................................................................................................... 136 VI.2. Religious Innovation ................................................................................................................ 139 VI.3. The Morals of Babylon ............................................................................................................ 145 VI.4. Failing Arguments and Their Failing Adherents ...................................................................... 146 VI.5. Papal Primacy .......................................................................................................................... 147 VI.6. A Church Union Built upon Far Too Material Grounds? ......................................................... 149 VI.7. Obscurant Rejection of the Latin ‘Religion’ and ‘Sacrifices’.................................................... 150 VI.8. Latins ‘Talking All Kind of Things About God’ .......................................................................... 151 VI.9. Religious ‘Corruption’ Spread by Latin Monks ........................................................................ 152 VI.10. The Necessity of Purging the Church of Latinizers ................................................................ 154 VI.11. No Surrender to the Anathematised Latins .......................................................................... 155 VI.12. The Latins Speaking ‘Righter’ than an Orthodox Bishop ....................................................... 156 VI.13. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 159 VII. Azymes..................................................................................................................................... 160 VII.1. A ‘Politically Adept’ Author .................................................................................................... 160 VII.2. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 169 VIII. The Filioque-Controversy .................................................................................................... 171 VIII.1. Denial .................................................................................................................................... 171 VIII.2. Condemnation ....................................................................................................................... 173 VIII.3. Support .................................................................................................................................. 189 VIII.4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 192 IX. Common Beliefs? ..................................................................................................................... 194 IX.1. Remaining Open to Each Other ............................................................................................... 194 IX.2. Sympathy towards Catholicism ..............................................................................................