Table Of ContentIdentities and Ideologies in the
Medieval East Roman World
Edinburgh Byzantine Studies
Innovative approaches to the medieval Eastern Roman empire and its neighbours
Edinburgh Byzantine Studies promotes new, theory-driven approaches to
the empire commonly called Byzantium. The series looks at the literary,
historical, material and visual remains of this long-living political order
and its neighbours, often from a multi-disciplinary and/or cross-cultural
vantage point. Its innovative readings highlight the connectivity of
Byzantine culture as well as of Byzantine Studies.
Series Editors
Louise Blanke, The University of Edinburgh
Ivan Drpić, University of Pennsylvania
Niels Gaul, The University of Edinburgh
Alexander Riehle, Harvard University
Yannis Stouraitis, The University of Edinburgh
Alicia Walker, Bryn Mawr College
Books available in the series
The Monotheisation of Pontic-Caspian Eurasia: Eighth to Thirteenth Centuries
Alex M. Feldman
Identities and Ideologies in the Medieval East Roman World
Yannis Stouraitis
Imperial Visions of Late Byzantium: Manuel II Palaiologos and Rhetoric in Purple
Florin Leonte
Books forthcoming
Saints, Relics and Identity in Medieval and Modern Caucasia: The Cult of
Saints and the Body Politic
Nikoloz Aleksidze
Social Stratification in Late Byzantium
Christos Malatras
Visit the Edinburgh Byzantine Studies website at
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Identities and Ideologies
in the Medieval East
Roman World
Edited by Yannis Stouraitis
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© editorial matter and organisation, Yannis Stouraitis, 2022
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Contents
List of Illustrations vii
List of Abbreviations x
Notes on Contributors xiii
Introduction
The Ideology of Identities and the Identity of Ideologies 1
John Haldon and Yannis Stouraitis
Part I Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches
1. Is Byzantinism an Orientalism? Reflections on Byzantium’s
Constructed Identities and Debated Ideologies 19
Yannis Stouraitis
2. Ruling Elites and the Common People: Some Considerations on
Their Diverging Identities and Ideologies 48
Johannes Koder
3. The Dēmosia, the Emperor and the Common Good:
Byzantine Ideas on Taxation and Public Wealth,
Eleventh–Twelfth Century 62
Kostis Smyrlis
4. Beyond Religion: Homilies as Conveyors of Political Ideology in
Middle Byzantium 100
Theodora Antonopoulou
5. Performing Byzantine Identity: Gender, Status and the Cult of
the Virgin 129
Leslie Brubaker
6. ‘Middle-Class’ Ideology of Education and Language, and
the ‘Bookish’ Identity of John Tzetzes 146
Panagiotis A. Agapitos
vi identities and ideologies in the medieval east roman world
7. Byzantium from Below: Rural Identity in Byzantine Arabia and
Palaestina, 500–630 164
Daniel Reynolds
8. Community-Building and Collective Identity in Middle
Byzantine Athens 200
Fotini Kondyli
Part II Centre and Periphery
9. Provincial Rebellions as an Indicator of Byzantine ‘Identity’
(Tenth–Twelfth Centuries) 231
Jean-Claude Cheynet
10. Provincial Separatism in the Late Twelfth Century:
A Case of Power Relations or Disparate Identities? 250
Alicia Simpson
11. Irrevocable Blood: Violence and Collective Identity Formation
in the Late Twelfth Century 268
Dionysios Stathakopoulos
12. Adjustable Imperial Image-Projection and the Greco-Roman
Repertoire: Their Reception among Outsiders and Longer-Stay
Visitors 287
Jonathan Shepard
13. Two Paradoxes of Border Identity: Michael VIII Palaiologos
and Constantine Doukas Nestongos in the Sultanate of Rūm 319
Dimitri Korobeinikov
14. The Coriander Field: Ideologies and Identities in Post-Roman
Ravenna 346
Francesco Borri
15. Cultural Policy and Political Ideology: How Imperial Was the
Norman Realm of Sicily? 367
Annick Peters-Coustot
16. Changes in Identity and Ideology in the Byzantine World in
the Second Half of the Twelfth Century: The Case of Serbia 387
Vlada Stanković
Index 400
Illustrations
Figures
5.1 Burial of Gregory of Nazianzos. By permission of the
Bibliothèque nationale de France. 130
5.2 Kastron Mefa’a, Church of St Stephen, floor mosaic (detail):
donors. Photo courtesy © Daniel Reynolds, 2012. 134
5.3 Kavalariana, Church of St Michael, fresco (detail): donors.
By permission of the Ephorate of Chania, photograph by
Angeliki Lymberopoulou, 2006. 135
5.4 Eudokia Doukaina and John Chrysostom: Prayer scroll
(detail). Private collection, photo courtesy of owner. 136
5.5 Eudokia Doukaina and Theodore Komnenos Doukas
Palaiologos Synadenos: Oxford, Bodleian Library, © Lincoln
College, gr. 35, fol. 8r. By permission of the Rector and
Fellows of Lincoln College, Oxford. 136
5.6 Veneration of the Virgin: Berlin, Staatliche Museen,
Kupferstichkabinett 78 A 9, fol. 39v. Photo courtesy
© Kupferstichkabinett. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. 137
5.7 Procession of the Hodegetria icon in Moscow: Moscow,
State Historical Museum, textile. Photo courtesy
© State Historical Museum, Moscow. 138
7.1 Rihab, Church of St George, eastern view of the nave and
bema: Photo courtesy Daniel Reynolds, 2012. 171
7.2 Rihab, Church of St George, tabula ansata: Photo courtesy
© Daniel Reynolds, 2012. 172
7.3 Kastron Mefa’a, Church of St Paul, dedicatory panel.
Photo courtesy M. Piccirillo 1997. 186
viii identities and ideologies in the medieval east roman world
7.4 Kastron Mefa’a, Church of St Stephen, dedicatory panel.
Photo courtesy S. Leatherbury/Manar al-Athar 2010. 187
7.5 Kastron Mefa’a, Church of St Stephen, north aisle.
Photo courtesy © Daniel Reynolds, 2012. 187
7.6 Kastron Mefa’a, Church of Bishop Sergios, detail of the
children of Sophia. Photo courtesy © Daniel Reynolds, 2012. 190
8.1 Aerial view of the Athenian Agora. Photo courtesy American
School of Classical Studies at Athens, Agora Excavations. 205
8.2 Medieval ‘superimposed’ state plan of post-Roman,
Byzantine and premodern structures in sections BE, BH, and
BZ. Shear 1997, 522, Fig. 7. 206
8.3 Plan of Byzantine structures in sections BE and BZ,
Camp 2003, 242, Fig. 1. 207
8.4 Plan of Byzantine chapel with the location of burials
based on Shear 1997, 536, Fig. 10. 208
8.5 Tile burial by the north wall of the chapel’s narthex.
Photo courtesy American School of Classical Studies at
Athens, Agora Excavations. 209
8.6 Church of Aghios Nikolaos: plan showing four phases of
development, Shear 1997, 540, Fig. 12. 210
8.7 Tile burial outside Aghios Nikolaos (phase I). Photo courtesy
American School of Classical Studies at Athens,
Agora Excavations. 211
8.8 Vaulted burial chamber in the naos, Aghios Nikolaos.
Photo courtesy American School of Classical Studies at
Athens, Agora Excavations. 211
8.9 The Byzantine remains at section MM with the Hephaisteion
in the background. Photo courtesy American School of
Classical Studies at Athens, Agora Excavations. 215
8.10 Byzantine Osteotheke at the south edge of section MM,
with steps visible. Photo courtesy American School of
Classical Studies at Athens, Agora Excavations. 216
8.11 Plan of section MM in the middle Byzantine period
(a) pre-fire; (b) post-fire. Drawings by F. Kondyli and
L. Leddy. 218
8.12 Foundation walls of street gate and exterior walls of
Middle and East House Blocks, section MM. Original photo
courtesy American School of Classical Studies at Athens,
Agora Excavations. 219
illustrations ix
8.13 Public well at section BE. Photo courtesy American School of
Classical Studies at Athens, Agora Excavations. 222
Table
13.1 The Nestongoi, Angeloi and Palaiologoi: Constantine
Doukas Nestongos as ‘uncle’ (θεῖος) of Andronikos II. 337
