The Issue No. 3 Spring 2013 Byzantinist A Message from the Editor “So then, if Zeus will not place our inaccessibility, all of us are pio- smaller by widening access to story among the stars, if Poseidon neers in a eld of scholarship, a our work through the internet. will not imprint it upon the waters, if not yet over-crowded by centuries, rough Peter Lang we hope to Earth will not nurture it in plants and each of us can bring something publish the best of the many pa- owers, then, as though in unfading new to the debate, and this issue pers of the society’s international timbers and in adamantine precious of the Byzantinist is no dierent. conference, both this year and in stones, with Hermes’ pen and ink and Our articles cover a time period the future. It has been noted for in language breathing the re of rhet- from the end of antiquity to the high many years that the standard of oric let our story be inscribed, and middle ages, with literature, numis- conference papers is extraordi- let some one of those who come aer matic, economic and hagiographic narily high, and so being able to turn it into rhetoric and forge gold- elds all covered. Our proles of both put the best of these into print is en statues hammered out of words past and present students are also the culmination of many years of as our imperishable monument”. testament to our diversity, and our hard work from the committees So said the 12th Century poet Eus- Fellow’s interview shows Oxford’s of the Oxford University Byz- tathios Makrembolites, and though strength of faculty, as with such a antine Society. As we publish, he was speaking of his contemporary department to work in we can count both in this Byzantinist, online cra of rhetoric, his words remain ourselves lucky to be among the with Porphyra, and in print with true for all of us young scholars to- best minds in our eld in the world. Peter Lang, Eustathios’ wish for day. Too oen has Byzantium been All this is like the tip of an iceberg, an imperishable monument of seen through a glass, darkly, or has hinting at the vast amount of work words has become that much indeed been deemed inaccesible, being done by the many scholars more fullled. Let those that with the very word ‘Byzantine’ being doing Late Antique and Byzantine come aer us continue the good a synonym for something complex. Studies at Oxford, thus for all read- work, but never lose their pur- Scholars of Late Antique and Byzan- ers, let the Byzantinist be seen a sign pose and passion for their work. tium can be an odd bunch, studying of what is around here in Oxford. Maximilian Lau for a variety of reasons, and in elds Beyond this city of ours howev- President more diverse than any discipline save er, I am pleased to announce our classics, covering as it does, History, alli ance with the Italian e-journal Archaeology, Philology, eology, Porphyra and the Peter Lang pub- Anthropology anguages and a great lishing house. e former will be deal more. e ability of Byzantium a boost to our online presence, to draw in scholars must to a cer- and start making the wider world tain extent be due to it’s previous of Byzantine Studies a little bit . Contents ______________________________________ The 0unction of ,amentation in Ni etas Choniates‘ Chronik Digsis by Nicholas Matheou 3 The Numismatic 1conography of 7ustinian 11 8econsidered9 1n-uiring into the Origins of the Arab.By(antine 1deological Confrontation by ,oren(o Bondioli 5 The Concentration of Wealth9 Some lessons from anti-uity? by Adrastos Omissi 8 The limitations of using hagiographical sources by Douglas Whalin 10 An interview with Eli(abeth 7effreys 12 Boo reviews 14 Alumnus Profile 1A Braduate Profiles 1C Pri(es and Awards 1D The By(antinist •is published by • The Oxford 3niversity By(antine Society Maximilian Lau President Caterina Franchi Secretary Design and Layout by 7esse Simon or Nouvellevague The texts and photographs printed herein are E 2013 by the Authors and may not be reproduced without permission The Function of Lamentation in Niketas Choniates‘ Chronik Digsis Nicholas Matheou, St. Cross College ,aments are moments in the $% where Choniates reduces his narratorial distance, suddenly moving Ni etas Choniates, along with Anna Gomnene and from his previously extra.diegetic voice and radically Michael Psellos, has often been recognised as one of changing the narrative mood in order to comment on a the By(antine Empire‘s master historians. Het the situation, almost always heavily utilising embedded Chronik Digsis Ihereafter $% J has only recently scriptural -uotes without referencing. Their effect is to been systematically analysed. This being despite the focus the reader‘s attention on the significance of fact that, as Paul Magdalino has shown concerning what is being narrated, and through repetition of Manuel 1 Gomnenos, Choniates often underpins vocabulary, form and theme to signify of connection historians‘ view of the twelfth.century By(antine between the matters in discussion. The first of these is world. Alexander Ga(hdan in his seminal study of the in Boo 111 of Manuel‘s reign, immediately after he literature of the period recognised the individuality in has discussed the division Sultan Masud of 1 onion‘s Choniates‘ mastery of the tools of By(antine realm amongst his sons. ii 1n terms of form, the lament historiography, as did the recent and hitherto sole progresses from a series of rhetorical -uestions on volume on his wor . However, an article of 7onathan how long calamity will continue, to exhortations for Harris‘ notwithstanding, basic -uestions over the Bod to intervene. Choniates as s how long Ii`\ ZeQN\J manuscript tradition and the implications of 1204 Bod will overloo his own inheritance IZjQ Nkf_lNQ remained, until Alicia Simpson‘s 2004 Ph.D. thesis, bXLcm_Y J, turn his face away I !"# Zj published as an article in 200A, and shortly to be a full Nkf_lNQ $% J, and allow the descendants of the i length historiographical study. 1n her article Simpson slave.woman Agar to dominate the free. The lament is illustrates how the evidence excellently systematised thus s-uarely placed in Anatolia, and refers to its in 7ohannes van Dieten‘s edition points to two main sub2ugation by the Tur s, rather than being generally periods of composition, represented by the b(revoir) about lost lands. 1t also incorporates twelve scriptural and a(uctior) manuscript families. To provide a brief -uotes into twenty one lines, generally psalms, but outline here, the b family represents the original text, also other boo s of the Old and New Testaments, a hypothesised by Simpson to have been patronised by a density of biblical referencing which would not escape member of court under Alexios 111 Angelos, and a contemporary reader. The rhetorically personal and continued after 1204 in exile in Selymbria until incongruous nature of these lines is reinforced by Choniates left for the emerging ,as arid court at Choniates commenting prior to continuing the Ni aia late in 120A. The a family represents narrative how perhaps these addresses *shot‘ Choniates‘ unfinished attempt to re.orientate his Ino_ZNo_pWXO_QJ to Bod are not untimely IKfXeL`\J, narrative in 1215.1C, from being a normal history of having lessened the sadness of his soul by a little. imperial reigns from 1oannes 11 Gomnenos onwards, After the lament the narrative goes on to unfavourably to a more unified narrative see ing to explain the fall discuss Gili2 Arslan 11‘s visit to Constantinople, of Constantinople. 8e.structuring is seen in the indeed he notes with satisfaction how an apparently chronological limits set in the title, which in b has a divine earth-ua e intervenes so that the sultan cannot beginning IKLMNOPQRJ but no end, whereas a clearly participate in a triumph. Therefore the lament can be aims to end with the fall ISTUNVWX OPMLY Z[\ ]S^W_`\ read both as actually bemoaning the lost land and as a Z[\ a`QWZXQZYQNVbcS_`\J. Additionally b is an comment on Manuel‘s policy towards the area which dWZNLeX whilst a is a MLNQYfg hYTURWY\, something Choniates names *the 8omans‘ allotment‘ IZq ZrQ Simpson views as insignificant, but in the hands of the s`OXe`Q WMNYQeWOXZXJ. This argument is supported accomplished linguist Choniates could indicate a pun, by the second lament, in Boo t11 of Manuel‘s reign. both meaning *chronological account Ii.e. annalsJ‘, 1n vocabulary, form and theme it is a briefer version and *discourse on the times‘. This article will assess of the previous one, suggesting these are to be seen in lamentation‘s role as a functional device in Choniates‘ continuous progression helping to underpin the re.orientation towards this metanarrative, focusing on metanarrative. iii 1t also begins by as ing Bod how three instances. long he will forget his inheritance and turn his face away, in fact here as well as previously Choniates is referencing from psalm 12.2 Ii`\ bcZ_, apLY_, Z[\ nbYSTWu &'()# fXv Zj WjQ % Kw‘ The Byzan tini st F 3 xO`Q $% J. 0urthermore, in these five lines ,amentations 5.1.2, *remember ,ord what has there are four scriptural -uotes. However, whilst happened to us, loo …Our inheritance has been heavily lin ed in language and form, the context of turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners‘ the lament is entirely different. 1t is comes at the end IOQTW!RZY apLY_ ZY nU_QT!R xOlQ of a discussion on the granting of paroikoi privileges nbezS_mNQ… &'() xOrQ O_Z_WZL{wR in return for military services, in the section of the KSSNZLeNY\, Nd N…fNY xOrQ oPQNY\J.